The Legend of Spyro: Price of Freedom
by ZVX1245
Summary: The now free Cynder continues to feel depressed and is full of guilt, yet finds solace in her purple dragon saviour, Spyro. As the two continue to seek answers to who they are and who there separate parents are, an old enemy returns to continue his genocide against dragons by unleashing a great evil, yet Cynder is strangely needed by him and Spyro must ally to an eccentric tiger.
1. Chapter 1

What was once polluted and dead now escapes through the mouth of the much larger elevation of the Earth's surface, that had risen abruptly from the surrounding area, now has signed an alliance with the small organisms that refer to it as a "home" and have restored it's rightful place amongst the mountains cutting into it like the teeth of an alligator. Although there was another species that had called it home once- dragon's.

Before, that same deselect river lay submerged by the fog, sitting like a graveyard for those who dare try to catch themselves some dinner and those foolish enough to sail down this path of death. As the mountains continued to change, due to the erosion that constantly takes place, the opaque river was stilled to move; struggling to continue on it's crooked path after what it had witnessed. Against the noises of the birds, that are trying their best to welcome the new day, the gentle roars of the scaly reptiles continued. There was possibly thousand's living here, far from an actual home. Now they were forced to flee once again returning to

The baby dragons observed, silently, observed the structure beyond the river and through the clouds; over the ancient, adjacent, narrow, hard piece of rock that pointed north towards the centre of this madness. Beyond this was the chaos bringer himself: a gigantic ship pitched that rolled like a frantic child trashing about the waters of the choppy and wallowing sea. Known for never losing a single battle...

 _Silent Blade,_ led by the shady, sinister, cunning, mysterious Grand Admiral Zanaz Salazar. There he stood on the helm of the ship, observing enemy ships being sunk under his command. At the time, the red-suited Grand admiral was known as the 9th most evillest person to live. Every detail of this infamous naval leader was unknown: his birth date, family, appearance, religion, not even his regular grand admiral uniform was traceable. His face was concealed by a crimson helmet, with a black visor on the part of the mask where his eyes should be, so the admiral could witness his success, as he stood there with blood-red cape flowing against the wind. Another ship went down in flames, adding to the already apocalyptic scene.

"Say if they warn the rest of their fleet?" asked the lieutenant.

"Well you know what they say, dead men tell no tales," laughed Salazar. "Or in this case dead dragon's".

"Sir, the last of their forces are being destroyed it looks like it will sink on it's own, perhaps we should let their men die in peace," suggested the lieutenant.

"Men? What men?" the Grand admiral asked, shifting his scarlet helmet towards him. "No, not men- dragons- who have plagued our planet long enough. There is no peace for them, only death". Salazar nodded to him and then proceeded to walk down the bridge, gently humming to himself almost like nothing was even happening.

"Take care of whatever remains!" ordered the lieutenant.

The fang-white mountains continued brooding and looming over the _Silent Blade_ as it prepared to leave the nightmare behind. That same rock that pointed forward continued to do so, only this time as a ghost, a silent observer of the snowy mountains and the former captain's that once sailed through this landscape.

On tiny dragon went over to the edge and glared at the river. Chills ran up her small leg's. Not long before it had been a chaotic night sky, but now at sunrise the air vibrated with rhythmic pounding of the waves. She had not been expecting the blue to so closely reflect the sky. The water, deep and cold, had returned to it's former glory. In places, the layer of deciduous forest, resplendent in golden hues, came right to the water's edge, joining the mountains that now were happy to lay in great line like the spine of land. It was as if long ago they were a great beast, only to lie down one day and never get up. Perhaps the beast fell into an enchanted sleep, perhaps its soul was still in there. Curling her tail, she rested, viewing the downfall of another beast.

 _Silent Blade_ continued pummelling earthwards, vanishing under the water, which cursed the evil Grand Admiral and his wretched ship to be trapped in it's mystical might for all eternity. What had happened? A question that plagued the mind of the little girl, while the plague of Salazar disappeared and was replaced with a feeling of warmth, now that the sea was free from the Devil and returned to being a heaven for the inhabitants and a dead man's chest or those aboard the destroyed warship and it's victim's.

* * *

Cynder woke up with a scream. She was having another nightmare, which was now becoming a regular thing for her ever since Spyro freed her from the Dark Master's curse. Speaking off, she couldn't believe how generous and accepting the purple dragon was, especially considering all she put him through as the Dark Master's puppet. The only thing, aside from her conscious, that would make her feel guilty was that annoying, small insect Sparx. _How could he and Spyro possibly be related?_

She looked around her chamber and saw nothing but darkness, although the stars and moon above lightened up the surface.

"Are you ok, Cynder?" asked a familiar voice. She turned to see Spyro. "I heard you scream".

"Wow am I really that loud?" snickered Cynder.

"How do you think I always knew you were about to attack me?" returned Spyro, laughing.

Cynder remained silent for a bit. She wished that Spyro wouldn't mention her time as being evil because the fact that he was so nice to her despite this was unbearable. It would add to the guilt she already felt.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to remind you of, you know" apologised Spyro.

"It's fine, I was just lost in thought for a minute" said the black dragoness.

Spyro stayed for a couple of minutes, as they both walked towards the balcony and admired the night sky. Cynder found herself staring at her purple friend for a long time. Thinking about her past made her wonder about his. Sure, she already found out Ignitus saved him from death by sending his egg down a river and Sparx's family found and raised him but who was in charge of such a rare purple dragon.

"Spyro?" asked Cynder.

"Yes?"

"I don't want to bring up a sensitive topic or anything but, do you ever wonder where your real parent's are?" she asked.

"My real parent's? I hadn't thought of that but Ignitus said all the eggs but ours were destroyed in the Year of the Dragon so my parent's clearly weren't there" he replied, rather quietly. "I wish I did know though. Although if I'm a rare purple dragon, what were my parent's?"

They both remained quite for a moment. For young dragon's, their lives weren't exactly as wonderful as it should be. In fact it wasn't at all.

"So what about you?" asked Spyro after a while. "Do you remember anything from before the Dark Master corrupted you?"

"As soon as I hatched all I remember is the powerful and evil forces going through me, repeatedly, day after day" answered the black dragoness. "I remember Gaul saying that my parent's died trying to protect me from the Guardians, but I was too small and stupid to know what any of that meant".

Changing the subject, Cynder asked if his powers had returned yet, but Spyro confirmed he had no such indication that they had.

"Maybe you should get some more sleep, that'll help you regain some strength" Cynder suggested.

"Maybe" agreed Spyro. "You gonna be ok by yourself?"

"I'll manage" said Cynder, returning inside.

"If you want you can sleep under the stars on this amazing platform I found; you can see the whole night sky" he offered.

"Nah I'll be just fine here, don't want to make Sparx's wet himself".

* * *

Two adult dragons were zooming through the sky, carefree.

"Woo hoo now that Cynder is history we can fly all we want!" cheered the blue one.

"Time to test my wings, race ya!" challenged the green dragon.

The two raced towards an area of ocean, covered with mist and fog. Flying lower, they saw what appeared to be a shipwreck, half drowned and half above the water.

"Eh what's all this?" wondered the blue dragon.

"Cynder?" guessed the green one, as they soon saw two more burning ships, sinking into the huge ocean.

Suddenly, the shipwreck began moving! It lunged out of the ocean and revealed itself. A ghost ship!

"This is bad lets go!" urged the green dragon. "Huh?" He turned to see his friend had vanished. Just then, a massive electric wire shot out from the ship and electrified the dragon, making him fall into the ocean.

He barely managed to swim upwards, where he saw the menacing warship itself. Glaring at the words on the back of it, he soon realised the horrifying truth. _Silent Blade._

The ghost ship turned around and under the command of the terrifying leader at the helm, it unleashed all it's cannon fire on the poor dragon.

"You monsters!" roared the helpless blue dragon.

The ghost admiral moved his troops aside and approached him.

"Cynder?" he hissed. "You are Cynder?"

"Heck no, nor do I want to be!" denied the dragon.

"Where is she!?" the ghost demanded.

"And who are you?"

"S-Salazar" he croaked.

The name made the dragon freeze. Stories existed of a powerful tactician, Grand admiral Salazar, a mysterious man who purged the world of dragon's until the last few escaped to the Dragon realms.

"I d-don't k-know" stammered the dragon.

"Hm that's not much use to me is it? Very well kill him".


	2. Chapter 2

Cynder wandered endlessly through the hallways of the dragon temple, thinking. She was depressed; her horrific past clouded her and filled her with grief and pain. She didn't belong here, not with people like Spyro, who, despite his cocky attitude, represented the opposite of her evil. As the nights went past, she became more solitary, remaining only in the room the Guardians allowed her to stay in.

Sparx was doubtful that she planned on staying there forever.

"I'm telling you that girl is crazy!" Sparx repeated. "We should keep our distance, who knows what evil plans she's hatching up in there. Ha-ha 'hatching', that was an unintentional pun.

"Sparx how many times have I told you, it wasn't her fault" rejected Spyro.

"Not her fault?! You're making it easier for the psycho" exclaimed the dragonfly.

"Well that is the idea, isn't it?" Spyro agreed.

"Not my point" moaned Sparx.

Spyro decided to wait patently outside Cynder's room. Although, Ignitus did say he was free to go where ever in the temple he pleased, he wanted to give Cynder some space and allow her to keep to herself when she wanted to and also it would be rude to barge in there. But this was to much space- no one had heard from her in days.

"Come in!" Cynder answered Spyro's knocks.

Spyro entered followed by Sparx, nervously. He gazed around the room, trying to figure out where the traps or plans were hidden. But there were none.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Actually I wanted to ask you that question" revealed the purple dragon.

"What do you mean?" questioned Cynder.

"You've been reclusive for days now, is there a reason for that?"

"Of course not! I'm not planning to destroy the temple, if that's what you...I mean Sparxs' is implying" denied the black dragoness.

"Hey it's like you read my mind!" commented Sparx. "Can she do that? All evil people can do that!"

"...Cynder" Spyro continued insinuating that something was wrong. "Those emerald eyes of yours can't hide your true self, that's is how I knew your weren't evil after all".

Cynder let out a defeated sigh and turned to Spyro.

"Your right something is wrong" she admitted. "I'm looking from the window every day and all I see is the endless destruction I caused and I can still hear the cries of the dying and their families as I slaughtered them, smashing through my eardrums".

"Yikes, graphic" whispered Sparx.

"Cynder I don't know why you keep thinking that was your fault" questioned Spyro, keeping to his calm tone.

"But maybe it was!" she cut him off. "Maybe I could have resisted, maybe I could have broken free if I tried".

"...You couldn't"

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW!" she yelled at him.

"Hey don't you be talking to my boy like that" defended Sparx. "Come on, Spyro lets get out of this creeps-vile".

"I''m sorry, Spyro, that's no way to treat my hero" apologised Cynder. "But not everyone is as forgiving as you".

Spyro was at a loss for words, before noticing something on Cynder's black scales. A thick cut running along her elbow to her right arm.

"Cynder what's that?" he asked, concerned.

"That? Must've gotten it from you during our battle, it's nothing" she dismissed.

"No I don't think I could've scratched a giant like you like that" said Spyro, grabbing her arm gently. Cynder allowed him to, despite knowing what conclusion he had come to. The feeling of his paw against her's was a re-assuring one. "Have you been...

"No!" Cynder denied.

"Cynder your guilt is getting to you, come maybe we should talk to Ignitus about this" decided the purple dragon.

"No don't!" she interrupted him. "Please, it was just an accident I swear! I won't do it again, I promise!"

"Are you sure, Cynder, I'm just looking out for you?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"If you say so" Spyro backed down. "But I'm not letting you stay in here for another day".

Cynder gave up and went with him and so did Sparx, reluctantly.

"It's hard to believe we were both born twelve years ago" said Spyro.

"Yeah I know, must've been hard to tell cause I was so big and scary and-

"What was the one word you called her, Sparx?" teased Spyro, remembering what he had called her corrupted form.

"What, what are you talking about?" denied Sparx, hiding a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah you didn't say anything" Spyro continued laughing.

Cynder gave them a confused look.

"So I'm twelve right now?" asked Cynder. "We're twelve right now, I mean?"

"Yes, in fact my birthday was only four months ago, meaning yours was as well" answered Spyro.

"It's been six years" gasped Cynder.

"What?"

"Nothing!" denied Cynder. "It's getting pretty late, you think we should you know get some rest?"

"Um ok" Spyro confusingly agreed. That was a sudden change in tone.

* * *

Now her mind was made up, she couldn't stay in the temple. She would be putting Spyro and everyone else in danger! That, coupled with the guilt she had been feeling, urged her to make this decision.

At night, when everyone was asleep, she silently crept to the underground crypt, where a huge map of the Dragon realms were presented on the cold, stone walls.

"Changed, Cynder?" a looming voice asked.

Cynder jumped before turning around and before her was a pink dragoness, sitting defeated next to a destroyed section of the room- no doubt her doing.

"Ember!" she cried, recognising her as the dragoness she had met while she was slowly being corrupted. Malefor had used her, being the only dragon Gaul could find the same size and age as Cynder, as a means to train young Cynder until she steadily became a corrupted adult.

"You're normal again I see" she weakly noticed.

"I'm happy to say I think I ran into the purple dragon you once talked about" replied Cynder. "His name's Spyro right?"

"Ah so you do remember some parts of your life before your full corruption".

"No, Spyro's here at the temple. He was the one who freed me! I got to say, you were right about him. Aside from his occasional cockiness he's got to be the nicest person I've ever met".

"Well, he seemed to avoid me back when him and Sparx got lost and ended up in our realm, he thought I was too obsessive" groaned Ember. "You might have better luck".

"What...do you mean, I'm not" the black dragoness turned red. "And to what do I owe this visit to?"

"He forced me to, I thought about refusing but I knew this could be my chance to warn you, that and there is no where in the world I could escape from him" she gravely replied. "Salazar, sent me".

"Oh, so it's time" Cynder whispered.

"Six years he's been trapped in the Bloody sea, awaiting the time for the sea to run dry, which it has thanks to the Dark Master's forces" explained Ember, dreadfully. "And now he's coming for you".

"B-but, I can't defeat him again, I'm no longer filled with that dark power" stammered the black dragoness. "Have to admit, the trick I pulled was pretty good".

"Yes, but make no mistake, the admiral will not underestimate you again" warned Ember. "And what of Spyro?"

"What about him, I'm leaving and putting him out of any more danger? He's already got his hands full now that the Dark Master and Gaul know of his existence".

"It won't make a difference, Salazar will continue his old plans: to kill all dragons and then find Master Eon".

"Any idea how long it will take him to find me?" asked Cynder.

"I'm sorry Cynder, I will be forced to reveal your location, nothing can stop the _Silent Blade_ " warned Ember, the mention of the terrifying ship sent chills up Cynder's spine. Ember vanished, leaving the terrified young dragon to continue mapping out a route. She would leave in two days.

* * *

Cynder was unable to sleep, dreaming about the disastrous things Salazar would do to satisfy his lust to kill her. Just another thing for her to feel guilty about. Then, up in the sky was a source of warmth and light...never mind it was just Sparx. The dragonfly noticed Cynder awake and went down to her, as she lay sadly on the floor.

"Hey I didn't like the way you talked to my bro today, Miss. Creepy" he insulted. "Don't think I don't know what your planning: your trying to steal him away from me. And it's working, you've got his complete attention but mark my words, I know you're gonna do something. When we least expect BAM, you're gonna kill him! Well I won't let you, sister, I'm a master detective. For instance, I know your still the same wicked, cruel, evil, terrifying, big, se- forget that- revolting creature"

Usually, Cynder wouldn't care for Sparx's remarks, she knew he was either dumb or just an attention seeker but this time those words hurt. Something made them hurt. Whether it the fact that she was now with spending more time with her purple counterpart or the return of Salazar that triggered it, her eyes slowly welled up with tears.

"Your not big anymore, actually come to think of it, your all big to little ol' me but-" Sparx then looked at her crying- something which he had never seen a 'terrifying' dragon like Cynder do- and began to feel like he had done something bad. "Uh-oh Spyro ain't gonna like this".

Cynder covered her eyes with her tail and tried sleeping but Sparx was still there.

"Er, you know I was joking, right?" he guiltily grinned. "You know ol' Sparx, full of stupidity". Nothing. "Um, maybe you'd like to spend the night out on the higher platform, you know with me and Spyro".

Cynder rubbed her eyes. Maybe spending some time with someone like Spyro would relieve her of her worries.

"Ok, I would like that actually" she quietly agreed.

"I instantly regret offering but since I did, lets go" huffed Sparx.


	3. Chapter 3

_The kind voice returned to Spyro's head. A man which Spyro didn't recognise as alive considering he had no idea what a human was, greeted him time and time again since last week, appearing in his dreams and advising him._

 _"What have you come to tell me this time?" asked Spyro, his voice echoing._

 _"About your parents" he responded, stroking his white beard. "Your REAL parents. But I am afraid that perhaps now is a bad time, unless you feel otherwise"._

 _"I'm ok with whatever your decision is" he politely responded. "But I would like to know about my parents"._

 _The man smiled. "Being with Ignitus has certainly matured you, young dragon. But I must warn you that perhaps this is a story you might not like"._

 _"Please!" begged the purple dragon._

 _"Very well" the man showed him a vision of a beautiful valley with dragons hovering around. However soon the peaceful scenery was replaced with burning ash, as a menacing dragon unleashed it's dark powers onto the inhabitants. It's dark breath, matching that of the ship that accompanied it, was an unstoppable war machine._

 _"Stop please, I don't want to see anymore!" Spyro's petrified eyes compelled him to look away._

 _The man paused the vision._

 _"Who was that beast?"_

 _"I'm sorry to say this Spyro, but that was your father..._

* * *

Gaul, along with his army of apes, were enjoying themselves inside their camp, near Mount Malefor, eating chicken and forcing small animals to battle each other for entertainment. Gaul had decided to allow his troops to party, hoping to boost morale after the loss of Cynder.

Two shaken up apes waked nervously to their king.

"S-sir, we have um very bad news" stammered the first.

"Bad news? We do not have bad news, we always win" laughed Gaul, trying to keep to the triumphal tone of the party.

"Y-yes we know that- all hail Malefor and all that- b-but this time there is bad news" continued the second one.

"Well I mean the loss of Cynder was bad news" interrupted the first guard, making other apes notice, contrasting with the cheerful mood Gaul was trying to build up- Gaul himself was getting agitated. "I mean not really bad news, more like a travesty, a tragedy, a failure, what with her being our general and all-

"ENOUGH! STOP REMINDING ME!" roared Gaul, silencing the cheerful party. "Tell me the bad news!"

"Our armies are being crushed as they attempt to venture beyond the Mystic river and the Dragon realms" revealed the first guard.

"Impossible! Our armies are the strongest in the realms and no force alive can stop them" rejected Gaul.

"That's just it, your highness, the enemy is not alive" revealed the second guard. "A dead man in military uniform, commanding a fearsome ship that carries a hundred canons, killing all dragons and apes in sight".

"...Zanaz" gasped Gaul, realising the truth.

Gaul marched down a bridge with poison flowing beneath and barged into an evil lair, where a bald, small, evil man sat.

"Chaos!" he roared.

"Ah...Gaul!" cried Chaos, surprised at his visit after all these years.

"You lied!" growled the ape king. "We exiled Eon for you and in return you promised to kill Salazar and said that he wouldn't return!"

"I did not say that" denied the nervous man. "I simply said he was doomed to remain in the Bloody river until the next Night of Eternal Darkness- which I specifically remembered warning you that it would be in six years- six years have past since and that Night will soon be upon us. You cannot stop him without the help of your precious Cynder".

"Cynder is with the Guardians now!" yelled Gaul.

"No problem, let them deal with Salazar" said one of his guards.

"Won't make no difference" shrugged Chaos. "Salazar plans on finding Master Eon and using his magic staff thingy to make dragons an extinct species- including your lovely Malefor leader".

"So why are the apes suffering his wrath?" questioned Gaul.

"You know why" said Chaos, looking at the ape king straight in the eye. "It was the corrupted Cynder who- before she turned into an adult but was still slowly becoming evil- who led a small band of surviving dragon's, under my guidance, and killed Salazar. Do you not refer to Malefor as you 'Dark Master'? And did she not kill him in the name of Malefor?"

"So how do we save ourselves?" asked Gaul.

"Cynder" uttered the bald man. "Give Cynder to Salazar and your plans will continue, uninterrupted".

"You mean attack the temple? Try and steal Cynder from the Guardians?!" cried Gaul, shockingly.

"In that case, maybe you should return to the jungles where you belong" grinned Chaos.

"You mean go back to dangling from trees and stealing bananas?" refused Gaul, quite stubbornly. "We have risen above that. We will find Cynder and give her to the dead".


	4. Chapter 4

A haunting, chilling song, played by a piano with pain and grief, filled the skies.

The _Silent Blade_ emerged from under the icy seas and faced the dark night sky once again, this time it headed towards land. Inside the captain's quarters, the dreadful ghost, Woodrow, sat miserably, facing a portrait in front of him. A beautiful portrait, created by one of the finest artist's in the world. Sadly, he reached out his ghastly hand and touched the cheek of the huge, beautiful black dragoness on the portrait. Beside her, was a male and beneath them was a black egg, on which two proud smiles watched over.

As the music played on the piano by Salazar continued, Woodrow turned to him.

"Why did you bother?" he demanded, rubbing away the two teardrops that appeared. "Why did you come all this way, only to once again drown your sorrow in the misery of the dragons you slaughter?"

Salazar continued playing his song. "I might ask you the same question?" the Grand admiral returned. "These two dragon's, I did everything for; treated them like they were my own children and then they turn on me. Force me to do the unspeakable! And then, finally, after waiting 20 years to return to the empire, away from all these realms, what did they do? Imprisoned me in the cursed realm, allowing me to escape once every one year! WHY?!"

The music turned from pain to anger and then to grief again.

"Now ask yourself this, why was this egg so special, there was nothing but darkness looming all around it?"

Woodrow placed his sorrowful fingers onto the black egg that lay beneath the feet of the two huge dragon's.

"Cynder..." the words subtly and gently escaped his lips.

"You should speak up, capitan" insisted Salazar, changing the tune to a gentler and more betraying music.

"I...I thought the egg would be in good hands- what with the Guardian's hovering around the place- but I had never expected Gaul to attack, I never thought that he had heard of the Legend of the _Cynder_ but he did and now that egg lies with him" Woodrow droned on.

* * *

 _"Spyro, I am so sorry" apologised the voice in his head._

 _"B-But you've helped me so much" puzzled the purple dragon. This strange old man had taught him many things about dragons and showed him many regions which he never thought existed. He was almost like Ignitus but only he wasn't real._

 _"How are you, young dragon, is what I should be asking?" he changed the subject._

 _"I'm fine but I don't understand, how do I get my powers back?" he asked._

 _"In time you will see. In time, another being will assist you in your journey" smiled the old man, leaning hid hand down to stroke his snout gently. "But now you should awake, I think someone else is here to share your kindness"._

Cynder gently walked outside, to the platform Spyro was laying on, and, not to her surprise, the purple dragon was already awake, laying there and glaring at the sky above.

"Beautiful night, huh Spyro?" commented Sparx, making Spyro jump.

"You caught me off guard there Sparx" admitted Spyro.

"Thought maybe Cynder would like to see this night too...also I found her upset so I thought this might cheer her up" chuckled Sparx, nervously.

"Why were you upset Cynder?" asked Spyro.

"Well, clearly it had nothing whatsoever to do with me" Sparx guilty answered for her.

"Nothing...just thinking" Cynder lied, giving a nod to Sparx, who breathed a sigh of relief that she had not snitched on him.

"About you're past?" guessed the purple dragon.

"About my parents" Cynder changed the subject. "I've been having weird dreams with them in it."

Sparx got hungry and decided to leave.

"You're not alone there, I've been having strange dreams too- ones which seem all to real" admitted Spyro. "There's always a strange voice talking to me, telling me things that I've completely forgotten about".

Then, the sky did a most unexpected thing- it threw down small, white drops by the thousands. It was snowing, adding to the amazing night sky which the realms had been experiencing lately.

"You cold?" Spyro offered her a wing to lean by. Cynder accepted, leaning her skull under his warm wing. That wing soon extended until it covered most of her, despite it not being that big. That same strange feeling returned to pester Spyro, yet he wasn't sure why.

Cynder allowed her dreary eyes to rest and although she remained aware of what had happened- the warning of Salazar's return- when she was with Spyro she forgot all about it, instantly.

"...Spyro?" Cynder hesitated to ask him.

"Ah young dragon's, I see you have noticed our peculiar weather" a sudden voice interrupted.

Cynder immediately moved from Spyro's side, likewise Spyro moved to the right a bit, not wanting to create an awkward moment in front of his mentor- he might get the wrong idea. He shook off his strange feeling. Cynder was his friend; his ally. Nothing more. Yet their paths were strangely parallel.

Sparx then returned.

"Seriously do you guys have a kitchen or what?" he grumpily asked.

"Can't sleep?" assumed Ignitus.

"No" the two dragon's answered.

"I would've thought so, you're still weak from your battle" stated Ignitus, trying to avoid mention of his opponent, as not to make Cynder upset. "A night like this reminds me of the Infinite Night, all that time ago" he smiled at the stars, dreamily.

"Infinite night? Yikes, not even I could sleep that long" said Spyro.

"How bout you tell us the story, maybe it can help em get to sleep so I can cover up my actions, I mean so they can rest" urged Sparx.

"A long time ago, dragon's roamed free all around the realms and beyond, to a place known as 'Earth', where it was a paradise in some areas" began the Fire Guardian.

 _"There was this species we encountered called 'humans', whose population was growing rapidly and as such needed more land so it was only fair that they have their planet. All dragons were ordered by the mysterious entity, Eon, to return to the Dragon realms to live. However there was no such route, so Master Eon turned to a man of the sea, a man who respected dragons and their plight and agreed to guide the dragon's home, on board his magnificent galleon. Cynder was the name of his ship (I can only assume that's why Gaul named you that). However, he only truly did it for a dragoness whom he loved."_

 _"_ Yuck how can two different species love each other" groaned Sparx, out of disgust.

 _"You see some say this man was indeed a dragon, a magnificent one at that and Master Eon had transformed him into a human in order for him to commit to his job. After twenty years it was done- all dragon's were here. However she was not. She was found dead. The man, doomed to remain a human for not completing his job as she had been killed, went on a rampage. No one in the realms was spared, his purge was unstoppable and with assistance from Chaos, a mythological evil figure, he laid waste to the land and tried to kill Eon. The master was forced to banish the captain to the Cursed Realms, a realm where the banished are only allowed on land one day a year._ "

Ignitus' story killed some time and made both dragon's sleepy.

"You don't mind if I stay, Spyro?" asked Cynder, not wanting to return to the other room alone. She'd rather be with someone who understands her and she could make conversation with, then be alone. She had already had enough of being alone for the last twelve years.

"Of course not" answered Spyro, once again wrapping his right wing around the cold black dragoness.

* * *

Gaul's ship approached the dreaded _Silent Blade,_ it's wrecked hull contrasting to his clean ship, yet still inferior. The canons of the _Blade_ revealed itself but the ship went further, until it reached within miles of the _Blade._ Salazar suspected something was not right. He ordered the canon's to be at the ready but for no shots to be fired.

"Admiral Salazar, I hear you're on the hunt for Cynder!" called Gaul.

Salazar and his undead minions jumped down and landed on the ship, petrifying the apes, making them quiver with fear as the dead took command of the vessel. Gaul himself looked nervously around him to see who waited to greet him back. Upon turning, his eyes met with the deceased Grand Admiral's.

"I am Gaul, king of the Apes, servant to Malefor the Dark Master" introduced Gaul, after several seconds of silence.

"Malefor!" laughed Salazar. "This name must not be spoken off. It brings with it death and destruction- not unlike the carnage I bring that is necessary. Malefor is irrelevant to me now. Yet, I've noticed the strange flag on your ship, meaning you have come to do Eon's bidding! You will die like he will".

"I can lead you to Cynder with nothing in return but a guarantee that my armies will be protected!" Gaul quickly spluttered out.

"Interesting proposition, your highness, but my forces are more than capable-

"She is under the protection of a purple dragon" revealed Gaul.

"No they are extinct" dismissed Salazar.

"Spyro the dragon" Gaul named.

"No! No,no! No!" cursed the phantom. "This was not what Eon promised! And you can accomplish the mission of retrieving Cynder?"

"I can; I ask that you spare mine and my armies life and Cynder will be bought before you by the Night of Eternal Darkness" promised Gaul.


	5. Chapter 5

"Cyril?" called Terrador.

"Yes, dear friend" the ice dragon answered.

"Remember how we agreed that no one should ship or dragon should come in from the ocean beyond the swamp?" the earth dragon asked.

"Yes, I do as a matter of fact" recalled Cyril.

"So why is there a small, wooden boat heading toward the swamp?" Terrador gazed out the balcony. It was the highest point of the temple and there, they could have a full view of the entire swamp and beyond, including the Mystic river.

A small dingy was approaching the swamp...

* * *

 _Three weeks earlier..._

Abandoned; forgotten by the world; this eccentric wrench was back. With the pulsing of the sea causing a gentle swell, the wind providing a precise heading and the waves cascading onto the shore, the day that Apex Z would begin his risky trek to return to the universe had began. Bidding one final farewell to the dense suffocating undergrowth of the jungle, the shimmering green light- almost holy- and the canopy of leaves, the tiger approached his "chariot".

It wasn't much to look at. Nothing but a rickety, decaying log pile that looked like it had been ransacked by hungry termites in need of a good dinner, and had finally found it after several days of hunger. But he didn't need it for a long journey. Just to get to the fabled dragon temple. Carefully getting inside, so as not to brake the already creaking surface, he sat down and got the two long paddler's ready, using all his strength to begin rowing.

"A couple of you might stay behind" he muttered to himself.

This boat seemed to be one of many that several of Salazar's undead crew used to land on the sandy shores of this uninhabited island, looking for some dragons to kill. Apex seized the opportunity of the explorer's venture into the forest to run towards the shore as fast as he possibly could to steal a boat- any boat, so long as it could sail. However, it appeared as though one had left behind a neat paper with very clear and precise drawing's on it- most intriguing. A map of the entire Dragon realms- now he had his heading.

The ocean was as still as a mill pond. As the dingy calmly cut through the ocean like they were scattering the sequins that littered the ground in festival's. Back on the sandy prison, after exiting from the foreboding vines, the dead now returned to see one of their boat's was missing. So was the entire blue morning, replaced by a sombre, slate-coloured sky. The light cloud that had started drizzling over the ships had become a monsoon's deluge. The very fabric of the sea felt thrown off, as if the spirits of the water had risen and were making their grouchy moods known to all who dared to sail upon them. Should he return? Is there any more desolate feeling than the mighty swelling of the ocean beneath ones feet and nothing on the horizon but more of the same?

"Capitan look!" called one sailor, pointing towards the foolhardy tiger. "That tiger is stealing our boat. I mean stole".

"Apex?" glared Woodrow snickering, whilst appearing frustrated at the seizure of one of his boats, and then reinforcing his doubting tone with a snort. He looked upon the idiotic tiger's attempt to control the boat with embarrassment for him. "That fool's meant to be dead!"

The dead crew sprinted towards the shore. Woodrow went further, sending his legs smashing through the waves that eroded the beach and positioned his hands out to begin calling to the stupid tiger.

"Oi!" he yelled, his voice smashing through the thunderous applaud of the smokey grey clouds. "Return to the beach with our boat immediately!"

Amongst the crashing waves, the boat which was struggling to stay in one direction continued on it's unusual course. Apex, however, did turn and mockingly removed his timbre coloured hat and waved it at his former friend/enemy.

"Thanks for setting my ride of this this rock Capitan!" he jeered at them.

"That idiot has no where to go except back here, there's nothing but open water ahead" grinned one sailor.

However, much to the surprise and awe of the explorer's, the tiger was directing the dingy right, heading to an open clearing where a wave was being constructed. The wind arose to push the still waters to choppy, which morphed into mountains of angry waves. Mustering up all of his strength, Apex paddled as fast as he could, ignoring the splinter's piecing his skin, and managed to zoom through the appending tidal wave, before it collided with another, and was now free in clear water.

"You were saying?" one sailor beckoned to the one who criticised the flawlessness of Apexs' plan.

"Capitan?" that same flabbergasted sailor asked his captain for orders.

A shocked expression took over Woodrow's face, almost as if it had been drawn on with his boiling blood serving as the ink required for such an annoyed, yet venerated look.

"Such a revolting sight" muttered Woodrow, following it up with excessive cursing.

"Capitan, I think I might have left the map of the Dragon realms in that boat," realised one nervous sailor, whose tongue instantly became an icy shard for admitting to his incompetence.

"Well I guess it's safe to say that Apex Z is not dead" commented the sailor who refereed to him as an idiot.

"Apparently so" the glum captain acquiesced to his praise, in a low and frustrated voice.

* * *

Present...

Apex walked through the swamp, folding his map and placing it into his pocket. He hadn't gotten far when he past Cynder, who was slowly and silently pacing around the swamp. She soon noticed this unusual individual. He was no dragon. Perhaps he was a visitor or a messenger for the Guardians. Either way, she had probably killed his dad or mum or something.

She paused and turned. She saw him knocking on the thick oak of a tree.

"Hello? Any purple things living in here?" he called to it, assuming there was a dragon living in there.

 _Purple thing? Spyro?_

"Dragon's don't live in trees" she told him, before immediately regretting opening her mouth. Say if he recognised her as the Terror of the Skies. Say if she killed his family or something. That's a horrible way to start a conversation. 'I killed your dad by the way back when I was an adult'. _I'm so stupid._

"I knew that, I know they don't live in trees" he pretended. "Don't think that I didn't, cause I did! Who are you?"

"I'm no one" she said, not wanting to reveal her name.

"Ah-ha I knew it the not so big Terror of the Skies!" he laughed. Cynder put her head down. "Relax, once you've met the Terror of the Seas, the one of the sky is nothing to be scared off".

"Terror of the...Salazar, your talking about the cursed one right?!" she cried.

"Yes, I am talking of the one who others prefer not to talk about because talking about him is said to be a curse because he was talked about to much".

"What...?"

"In short, he's back, your back, and now I'm back. So were all back now aren't we" Apex pretended to cheer, spotting a smirk.

Cynder shuddered with fear. She had to go now, before everyone dies. She immediately stretched out her tiny wings and flew up into the stormy clouds above. She could barely hear Apex's yells of "it's to windy, get back down!" she wanted to leave as soon as possible.

As the wind brushed away her tears as she fled, Spyro was wandering around on the top of a cliff, looking at the swamp below, hoping to see this mysterious intruder Ignitus was speaking off. However, he soon noticed Cynder flying straight towards the grey clouds.

"Cynder wait!" he called after her.

"Leave me alone Spyro!" she yelled, but the weather made it impossible for him to hear her voice.

The wind and thunder began punching the two dragon's. Sparx soon noticed this and rushed to get the Guardian's. Cynder began to lose control and she was suddenly thrown back by the wind, landing into Spyro and sending them hurling towards the ground below.

Sparx covered his eyes, watching the Guardians run as fast as they could outside. _Hurry up!_

"Oh I can't look!" he covered his eyes.

Spyro opened his own eyes to see him and Cynder were being slowly guided towards the surface by a golden light, originating from the tip of a golden sword that Apex Z held tightly in one hand, or paw.

The two gently landed on the surface.

"There, I guided you home" he praised himself.

"Thank you!" thanked Spyro, reaching out to shake his hand in a dragon way.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" he shuddered, moving back.

"Shaking your hand in a dragon manner"

"Oh...I thought you were attacking me".

"Cynder what were you...

The Guardians flew to the ground and looked at the three below them. Ignitus and Terrador paid particular attention to the glowing sword in Apexs' hand.

"Ah..so your...well hi there, I'm looking for one Spyro the dragon" Apex announced.

"That's me!" said Spyro.

"Huh? But your a child!"

"Spyro get away from him!" shouted Ignitus, as he and Terrador breathed fire at the stranger.

"Ah so it's gonna be like that is it?" grinned the tiger, darting off towards the sea. "You almost had me there but keep trying, anythings possible!"

"Ignitus who was that?" asked Spyro.

"No one you need to know of!" interrupted Terrador. "Now its to stormy to be practising your flying, let us return to the temple".

Cynder silently walked forward as Spyro walked behind her. confused.


	6. This cursed soul

Woodrow's remaining boats returned after it's miserable journey back, arriving and connecting with _Silent Blade._ Woodrow and his undead crew strangely were drenched in water, mostly from the bottom parts of their bodies (well for some they didn't have any limbs at all just massive holes where they should be).

"Capitan, I see one of your boats is missing" greeted Salazar.

"Apex Z is alive, we saw him ourselves on the deserted island we travelled to and he stole one our boats and possesses a map to the Dragon realms" he grumpily replied. "But in our long journey back we discovered something. Our curse has allowed us to walk on the ocean as if it was the ground".

"Interesting..." Salazar muttered. "So the rumours are true, Apex Z did survive. That was why I sent you to that island, capitan, to prove that rumour".

"You could've told us".

"No, I wanted Apex to escape so he realises that you have survived, hopefully then he'll believe you are still in command of the _Blade_ , and won't be able to cause any trouble. Plus, maybe he'll find Spyro for us as a bonus".

"You intend to find Spyro how exactly?" asked Woodrow. Salazar moved out the way, giving the shocked captain a view of Gaul, steering the wheel and about eight or nine ape warriors beside him.

"Greetings, captain" grinned Gaul.

"Go, all of you...get this wretched beast away from my sight! I will not have him on my ship!" declared the outraged captain.

"I'm sorry to hear that you two are not friends" interrupted Salazar. "But for the sake of the mission, I am forced to accept the support and navigational efforts of Gaul. Apparently this Spyro is a purple dragon- much like our dear friend Malefor".

"The _Silent Blade_ was built to destroy creatures like this, I accepted the dragons staying as slaves but not this infernal wretch!" refused Woodrow.

"Oh I'm so sorry to hear that, because the _Blade_ sails as it's leader commands!" retorted the grand admiral. "You do wish to finally end the threat of Eon, the man who delivered you false promises and separated you from your daughter?"

Woodrow stared at him fiercely but soon accepted the grand admiral's argument as being logical.

"Excellent. Until then, Gaul is to remain on the bride, guiding us to this Dragon temple" declared Salazar.

"Then I will reside down below" decided Woodrow, retreating to the eerie door to get below deck.

"It doesn't appear as though the good captain loves me like you do" smirked Gaul.

Salazar whipped out a crystal shiny sword and placed it against Gaul.

"Do not think for an instance that I have forgotten the ape's service to Chaos and Malefor to plague Earth with these wretched dragon's" he threateningly warned him.

"But I thought it was Eon who brought about your demise" defended Gaul. "We were following our master, and I do not regret any of the events that have happened in the past not even a bit, who tried to find a decent home for his armies while he fought the Guardian's that were allied to Eon".

"Ha, you know nothing of the past" dismissed Salazar.

"I know what it's like to be defeated by the Guardian's, we to are locked in a war with them, awaiting the moment to release our master-

"No, no, not the Guardian's!" cried Salazar, his change in tone surprising the ape king. Salazar looked at the cabin door that Woodrow exited from and resumed. "It was Cynder"...

* * *

"For years, dragons had been plaguing the New World, where they did not belong. I knew that if I did not stop them then the future generations of Spaniards living here would suffer their wrath. So I made it my mission to eradicate them.

 _The Silent Blade, despite vastly outnumbered by Chaos' forces, continues firing rapidly and non-stop at the enemy ships, allowing them to sink to their doom and even then continue to send dragons pummelling under to join the dead. The monstrous warship smashed it's way through Chaos' ships, ripping them apart with it's ferocious speed._

 _"Ooh hoo, it's a glorious day to die!" cheered Count Moneybone as he spectated the apocalyptic scene from above._

 _"Cannon fire! Return fire!" screamed Chaos, as his ship was being shot to pieces as it retreated behind two large mountains._

 _Salazar stood at the helm of the Blade, wearing his crimson helmet, and watching as canons shot fiercely at the dragons in the sky, retreating._

 _"_ Eon knew that the Dragons had to be evacuated and bought to a safe place- the Dragon Realms- but Chaos and Malefor continued going to war against us, despite knowing that nothing they possessed could stop the _Silent Blade_. He got an infamous captain- who I'm sure you're fully aware of- to assist in this mission. But the _Blade_ was still known as the Terror of the Seas".

Salazar tapped the point of his sword onto the wooden, polluted floorboards.

Gaul looked onward, his left eye slightly watching the ghost's movements.

"Why don't you use the given name of this ship, instead of the one you later christened it as?" he demanded.

The mention of it's previous incarnation spooked Salazar, and he begrudgingly uttered a name he hoped he would never have to again.

"Fine, my ship, the _Cynder_ was unstoppable" he revised his earlier statement. "Chaos knew he couldn't stop me so, after Eon confronted me himself, he sent something else.

 _Ember lay on the side of the dragon evacuation ship, Sanctuary, heavily wounded and with no chance of survival. Her venture beyond the realms had cost her everything, being forced to fight against an enemy she thought never could exist, tricked and forced by Gaul to fight his battle. The pink dragoness lay there, thinking for a couple of seconds about the purple dragon she encountered him during his mission to stop Red._

 _Footsteps. Louder footsteps. There he was. Standing above her, wearing a white, glistening suit and holding a strange metal staff in his hand._

 _"Greetings young dragon, I am Woodrow Reyes" he started, canon fire shining behind him. "You were fooled, as I was. Now, you should die, pass on to next life. I can offer you a different choice. Live in the Cursed Realms until your service aboard the Cynder is needed; become a reserve, only called back into action when a crew member aboard the Cynder dies. Do you accept?"_

 _Ember slowly and terrifyingly nodded._

 _Meanwhile, on a high fang-white mountain that overlooked the carnage was a young black dragoness with a ruby underbelly, wings with ruby membranes, six silver white horns on her head and a sharp tail blade. Her emerald green eyes contrasted to the colour of death and hell that Salazar had bought with him into this ocean._

 _Chaos stood beside her, petting her head, which had several dark tattoos on. All of her training, her corruption, the horrendous and agonising days of having this poison being forced into her had led up to this moment. The evil in her eyes showed her determination to destroy the ship which bore her name._

 _"It's all up to you now Cynder" said Chaos, placing two platinum bracelets on her wrists, her tail and a silver choker on her neck. "These objects will guide you, now I must leave before I die too"._

 _"Yes can we please leave, this is starting to scare me too" agreed Moneybone._

 _Cynder turned to see not Chaos or his skeleton friend but a few surviving dragon's. Not all bad, some good, most actually. They all stood behind her, young, old and and even infants, rallying behind her. Despite her evilness and devotion to Malefor, she hadn't become completely evil yet, as she still resembled a young dragon. The process was interrupted by Zanaz's followers. She felt a rush of sympathy for them and made it her mission to defeat Salazar._

"The lands were finally free from the curse of these reptiles" continued Salazar to Gaul. "But then, while we we celebrating, a few dragons were trying to escape. And that's when I saw her in the distance, leading the band of...dragons...to defeat me!"

 _Salazar turned to face the source of these roars, and his crew gazed upon the black dragon leading them in the skies above._

 _"Hey! Lose your hat, admiral!" she called down to him. Salazar noticed his crimson helmet was gone and she was holding it in her claws. His face turned red with anger and his blood boiled at this sight. Somehow, she was so swift that she stole his helmet- his helmet- from right under his nose. "Boy, your turning red aren't you capitan? Or is it admiral?" Salazar grew more angry. "Oh no wait, it's Grand Admiral. No wonder your a grand one, you got some white hair, sir!"_

 _"_ This was their leader?" Salazar relayed his thoughts to the ape king. "This little...dragon...girl...who was leading them. She mocked me, so I vowed to make her watch as her brethren burn before her eyes and then we shall see how comical it is".

 _The Spanish warship followed Cynder's resistance band into the Bloody Sea, opening fire on everyone in their sights. 10 dragons lay dead and more were likely to follow._

 _"This way, follow me!" Cynder directed the dragons to hold their ground- or sky- in the centre of the sea as night grew near. It was the Infinite Night- the celestial moons revealed themselves._

 _"Follow them!" ordered Salazar, taking command of the wheel._

 _"Cynder, we need to destroy his quadruple cannon, it will kill all of us that are left" one elderly dragon alerted her._

 _She spotted the four sided cannon at the front of the ship and dived in, pummelling towards it. The crew scattered as she shot a magnificent blast, fuelled with poison, fear and wind right at it, destroying it and spreading fire to the entire starboard side. She then flew forward, as the sails of the ship burnt down, approaching the bridge. She turned to Salazar and flew a little slower, letting him no his end was near. Mockingly, she raised her paw and gave a military salute to him whilst grinning. The Grand Admiral immediately grabbed his gun, containing one shot only, and aimed it directly at her heart. But before he could shoot, the ship began pummelling under the water, as the Infinite Night cursed the sea, ending the plague of Salazar; banishing the evil ship to the cursed realms._

 _As the other dragons cheered, the young Cynder sat far away on a cliffside, with a terrible headache. She had used all of her evil strength to kill Salazar and now she was weak._

 _Gaul approached her._

 _"It seems Malefor's darkness is rubbing off" he glared._

 _"I-I don't remember doing this"_

 _"Lets see if we can fix that with more darkness" Gaul grabbed her and retreated._


	7. Chapter 7

The night was still. Under a sky of perfect midnight velvet, under stars so brilliant they drew the eyes heaven bound, the stars produced lyrics of a starry night that went on and on inside Spyro's head, with Cynder still close to him, giving him the chance to protect her from harm from those who still hate her and that which she inflicted upon herself. She had told him that she was just practising her new, smaller wings now that she was allowed to roam freely, but Spyro had a small sense that she was trying to run away. It's a good thing that stranger saved them.

Speaking off, no one had heard, seen or talked about him for hours, almost as if he never even showed up in the first place. But he did, and Spyro was glad of it and owed him his thanks. Yet, he had no idea why the others were so defensive when he appeared to them. In a way, he was glad she decided not to leave the temple and stay with them, because then there would be no one to say to her "it wasn't your fault" when she felt depressed, relaying the same subject in her head. That it was her fault that the lands were plagued with darkness and it was her fault that thousands of corpses lay before the feet of Gaul.

Just beyond the walls of the Dragon temple, a ship rolled along the waves entering within range of the fortress. Soon, those who resided within the temple would be the first who would sight the _Silent Blade_ and add to the much re-countered dragon-lore and the mystery surrounding the doomed vessel. The oceanic realm turned turned still, like the night sky, upon the entry of the _Blade_ onto it's cerulean beauty. Salazar walked up to the bridge and absorbed the mist that covered the sky. He observed the velvet black sky and then glanced over to the defences stationed along the more higher walls of the castle.

"I shall lead the apes into the temple" announced Gaul, breaking the long silence between his command of the wheel to now. Most of that was due to Salazar's absence from the bridge itself.

"No" rejected the ghost. "If you wish to launch future, more successful attacks with the goal of occupying the temple, I suggest we leave the more easily defended areas and go for the more harder options, that way they will expect any future attack to be on the walls, but you won't do that. You'll attack the easily defended area- the beaches. That is, if you will take my advice."

"But how do you expect us to penetrate those colossal giants?" questioned the ape king, referring to the giant walls.

Salazar handed his telescope over to him and pointed him towards the three canons stationed on top of the temple walls.

"You see those canons?" he said. "They are the main thing. Destroy those while my men create a distraction by invading the rest of the temple".

"Beware, admiral, I hear dangerous things lurk outside the temple at night" warned Gaul.

"We're dead, what else can happen to us?" he questioned. "You do your job as well as Cynder will do her's, then you shouldn't need to worry about these things."

* * *

Ignitus woke with a shudder as canon fire was heard. He immediately gathered the other Guardian's and prepared to defend themselves against the attackers.

Spyro and Cynder woke up to hear the loud shots.

"Spyro look out!" shrieked Cynder, as a cannonball flew straight towards them. Cynder grabbed Spyro and pushed him out of the way, as the cannonball flew right through the entrance to the platform and exploded.

"That was close! Thanks Cynder" gasped the purple dragon.

The two ran inside to see the damage that had been caused, but were interrupted from viewing the chaos by Sparx's frantic yelling.

"Ah! Cannonball's are attacking me! I always knew I'd die this way!" he screamed.

"Sparx!" yelled Spyro, interrupting his little tantrum. "What's going on?"

"Hey, how should I know? I just woke up to hear a loud noise (not those big beast's snores) and then BAM, a cannonball flies straight past me" he explained. "I mean I always did say when we least expect it BAM, Cynder would attack us but I didn't mean like this. Oh...hi Cynder."

Terrador suddenly rushed in and looked around at the destruction.

"Spyro! Cynder!" he cried. "Thank goodness you're alright, follow me!"

"Hey, I exist to you know" said Sparx.

"Hurry!" ordered the green dragon.

Terrador rushed along an open balcony connecting the two sides of the temple together.

"Hurry before more shots are fired!" he shouted to them.

The three rushed along the balcony, but Cynder froze. She looked below, far ahead where a dark and ghastly ghost ship was firing rapidly at several locations at once. It was none other than Woodrow's doomed ship, the _Blade._ She fearfully observed the destructive potential of the warship, knowing that this was only an inkling of it's true capacity.

"Run!" screamed the earth dragon, as a cannonball flew directly towards the pathway.

Cynder snapped out of it and flew quickly to the other side, right when the bridge was destroyed and the rubble fell down to the earth below.

"Good thing we can all fly, am I right?" said Sparx.

"This way" instructed Terrador, calming himself.

* * *

Apex walked along the jungles outside the temple when he could hear it. The sound of all to familiar guns that fired at such speed that, only if your at a far distance, you would have no time to run.

"That sounds...familiar" he muttered to himself. He charged out of the jungle and arrived at it's outskirts, observing the carnage on the beaches. Mixed with the devastation already caused by the adult Cynder, it truly was a hellish scene. "Oh, that's bad".

"Now my army, let us reclaim what is ours!" proclaimed Woodrow, leaping down from the ship, and landing on the water. Being dead, these creatures could roam the oceans while not drowning as they pleased. About thirty ghost warriors followed him, each waving their weapons, with Woodrow spearheading this invasion, a sword clutched in his cold hand.

Apex whats them charge toward the beach.

"They can do that? How long could do they do that, was that always a thing?" he said aloud, quite surprised. He turned and retreated back to the jungle.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the temple, Ignitus was talking to Cyril and Volteer, when Terrador and the young dragon's entered.

"It's a catastrophe I tell you, nothing we know of is smart enough to outsmart him, well that is to say he's always the man with a plan, that is why he was promoted to such a high post. Not that I know of these foreign politics and how they work but the strategies he is employing is no match- began Volteer.

"Enough!" thundered Terrador. "Ignitus what should we do?"

"They must be here for that strange tiger that appeared earlier" assumed Ignitus. "Remember he possesses that powerful sword; if Salazar created the Eternal crystal he most likely made this sword as well".

"Ignitus what's going on; who's attacking us?" asked Spyro.

Ignitus let out a deep sigh and looked down to the two young dragon's.

"This warship is a deadly one, one which purged dragon's for years before they found sanctuary in these realms" explained the fire dragon. "It was under the command of the most fearsome admiral known, Salazar, who hunted and killed thousands of dragon's. His ship went down, unexpectedly, in the Bloody sea by Master Eon's doing, and there he remained for six years. Now the river has dried up and the dead man is free to roam with his haunted ship, and now he's come for us."

Cynder put her head down. She knew that it was not the river or Eon who had cursed the admiral, but her. She was the reason Salazar was here so the only honourable choice was to face him before the dead man's tale becomes known, and everyone here feels his wrath.

"Spyro, I need you and Cynder to find this Apex Z and bargain with him; allow him to go free in exchange for the sword" said Ignitus. "There should be several small boats along the western swamp areas. Tell him he is free to take one and leave".

"Wait, you want us to go...out there...with the crazy dead dude who's firing canon's at people?" exclaimed Sparx.

"Cyril show them the secret passage to the swamps outskirts and guide them all the way then return, we need your help" instructed the elderly fire dragon.


	8. Chapter 8

**(yeah this story was inspired a lot by Pirates of the Caribbean, if you couldn't already tell).**

As Cynder and Spyro raced through the dark forest, not flying to avoid being caught, bright lights raced past. The two dragon's peered through the gaps of the thick trees to see several undead warriors running with torched firmly grasped in their hands. Torched which could easily burn through the scales of a dragon.

"What are they?" gasped Spyro.

"Their not dead or alive" noticed Cynder.

"How are we gonna find Apex in this swamp with all these dead guys running around?" questioned the purple dragon.

"Can't we just, I dunno hide and pray he comes to us?" hoped Sparx, suddenly appearing from the bushes.

"Sparx?!" both Cynder and Spyro exclaimed.

One Spaniard stopped and turned to see the glowing light.

"There, it's one of our men signalling to us!" he cried. Three of the others walked towards the bushes, forcing the three to flee. "It's the purple dragon!"

As they ran, another cannonball flew past several bamboo trees and finally hit a large one in front of the filthy water. It went in between the dragon's, separating them onto opposite sides. Spyro was trapped and he decided to finally turn and fight the attackers. But how could he kill something which was already dead?

The purple dragon was still weak from his battle with Cynder but a small spark of fire was still active in him, which had managed to sustain itself after days of rest. He unleashed the little bit of fire he had remaining, however, it simply went through the dead and set alight several trees, starting a forest fire.

"There's nowhere to run" grinned one solider with only one side of his pale face showing, while the other had been severed from it for years.

"Good thing I won't run" smiled Spyro, setting out his wings and taking to the skies.

Cynder and Sparx ran (or flew in Sparx's case) towards the lower areas of the swamp as the smoke was becoming to thick to breath. Spyro too was having trouble flying with all this smoke in the way. His lungs began getting polluted with this unwanted gas and his eyesight was being blocked by it. He managed to see an approaching cannonball being flung in his direction and before he could move it hit him, sending him crashing to the surface.

"Spyro!" cried Sparx and Cynder as they ran to get back uphill.

Spyro weakly looked up as his tattered wings lacked the strength to fly now. His pupil's bore a reflection of death itself, as Woodrow Reyes approached him with his sword in hand, and peering down at him with a smile that seemed somewhat relieving.

"Capitan, this is the one?" beckoned one solider.

"Yes, this is the one" he replied. "Get a net and take him back to the ship".

As the others followed their orders, Woodrow looked onward at the fire in front of him and saw the silhouette of another small dragon and an even smaller, floating object (Sparx) and narrowed his eyes, as a pair of emerald pupils were becoming more apparent, and her soft voice yelling "Sparx, where are you?" swept through him.

"Lieutenant Abril, release our water dragons and put out this fire" he called to his female lieutenant.

"Yes, sir" she obeyed.

Cynder was trying to push down a tree to put out the fire.

"Come on!" she frustratingly cried.

"We need to get find Spyro!" demanded Sparx.

"Yeah well, I can't get anywhere unless this fire is gone!" she retorted.

Suddenly, medium-sized winged shadows appeared beneath them, originating from above. The two shockingly looked up to see five dragons that looked like Cyril but smaller breathing ice down at the flames, putting them out and in some cases turning them into blocks of ice.

* * *

As daylight approached, the apes had successfully retreated and the dead had returned to their accursed vessel, preparing to set sail. Cynder ran frantically through the devastated swamp, losing Sparx in all the commotion.

"Spyro! S-Spyro! Where is he? Spyro!" she called into the air.

One Spanish solider was standing behind her, eyeing the symbols on her head.

"So it's you then, eh?" he laughed, aiming his pistol at her head. But before she could turn, a golden sword ran into him, being flung from a distance.

Apex appeared from the trees and collected his weapon.

"Shame that, he was a good man. Or not so good, depends on who you ask really" he said.

"Apex! The guardians need your sword, please you can have any small boat we have, we just need that sword to defeat these dead troopers!" Cynder pleaded.

"No; impossible; and not necessary" he listed. "All the small boats have been destroyed and the dead are going now, so tell your little- or rather large- guardians they can keep their scales on".

"Salazar never leaves any survivors" insisted Cynder.

"I know, must be in quite a rush today" said the tiger. "Good thing he took the wrong dragon. He's gotten Spyro, I saw them retreat to their little boats with a sleepy purple dragon in a net".

Cynder felt her heart sink. This was all her fault. If she had just left when she was warned then Spyro wouldn't have what should've been her fate imposed on him.

"I thought it was the purple dragon they were after, and seemingly they think that as well, it turns out it's _not_ him but you they need" continued Apex. "And that fact makes their fact proven to be not a fact as the fact of the matter is the only fact that is true is the fact that they are going to figure out that your friend is not needed at all".

"...What? Slow down, Salazar knows who I am and what I did, he definitely knows that he needs me, so why'd he take Spyro?" she demanded.

"My only guess is that Salazar is not even on board the ship" Apex assumed.

"Who else could've come up with a plan as effective as the one he just pulled?"

"Maybe the fat, walking earthquake has something to do with it" Apex pushed his telescope in front of the black dragoness' eye's and pointed it toward Gaul, controlling the ships wheel. Salazar was nowhere to be seen. "It seems like that baby hippo has allied himself to the dead".

Cynder stretched out her wings and prepared to give chase, but Apex quickly put his sword in front of her path.

"Wasn't once quite enough?" he grinned. "Wait, a genius idea!" Cynder anxiously looked at him, thinking he had a plan. "A genius idea, that's what we need!...Here's an idea; an idea, a very good one. We get on that filthy beast's boat before he does and follow the creeps".

"What you mean, we're gonna leave him here at the temple?" questioned Cynder, not wanting to leave these dangerous creatures behind in case they harm the swamps even more.

Apex responded with a sickly grin.

* * *

"Aim all canons at the temple!" ordered Gaul, as his apes followed his orders by laying down several mortars.

"Sir, our ship!" pointed one solider. "That tiger is stealing our ship!"

Gaul turned to see Apex cutting the ropes that attached the ship to the surface.

"What an idiot" snorted Gaul.

Cynder nervously looked beyond the bridge to see the advancing apes.

"Their coming back just like you said" she told him.

Gaul angrily climbed his way up the wooden vessel and took out his sword, upon reaching the bridge.

"What do you think your doing, fool!?" he growled, as his loyalists joined him.

"The admiral wants you back" pretended Apex.

"Why does he need us back when he now has Spyro, our deal has ended" hissed Gaul, believing this to be some sort of trick.

Apex showed him his paw, which had a Royal Navy insignia tattooed on it. Gaul grumbled, turned to his apes, and then back to Apex.

"Would it not be better for you if you had Cynder, the black dragon, as well? Could you not then corrupt her and revert her back to her terrifying form. With her, you can destroy the dead that will soon kill you and precious leader, what looks like the devil".

"And where is she?"

"Right here, on this vessel" Apex kicked away some barrels hiding her, and revealed the poor dragoness to the laughing ape king.

"Why would you betray Salazar?" asked Gaul.

"Number of reasons, one because it just so happens that the good admiral wishes to open a portal to the Cursed Realms and release Nitrix Slazar, the Chaos Bringer".

Gaul froze, as did his apes, whilst Cynder remained confused. She wasn't sure if this was part of the plan or what was actually happening.

"With Slazar under his control, the grand admiral can kill the Destroyer and then Malefor" explained the tiger. "So how bout we use the girl to kill him again, and then the _Blade_ can be mine, in return for my help. I don't suppose Woodrow ever mentioned that the ship was designed by me and supposed to be captained by me, until he replaced me with Salazar?"

Gaul shook his head.

"Then we have an agreement, I get Cynder you get the _Blade_ ".


	9. Chapter 9

"Lieutenant, report" demanded Salazar as Abril appeared in his quarters.

"We have Spyro safely here but...why?" questioned Abril. "We need Cynder not Spyro".

"Yes but Woodrow must not know that, he believes that we need Spyro to open the portal but we need the female, he won't let us do that will he?" said Salazar. "That is why I allowed Apex to escape. He will lead Cynder to us, whether he knows it or not. Ah, our guest is here".

Woodrow entered and pushed Spyro in. Salazar gestured him to come to desk, with his ghastly hand.

"Greetings, young dragon" he said, his sinister voice sending chills up Spyro's spine. "You are probably wondering why I bought you here".

"You attacked the temple, I don't want to listen to anything you say" growled Spyro.

"It was necessary to ensure the ape's support, now we have done away with the Dark Master's evil forces" he justified himself.

"Wait...you don't work for him?" asked Spyro.

"Not at all, we wish to kill him but for that we need you and your going to help us one way or another" said Salazar. "Welcome aboard the _Silent Blade_ ".

"But why-

"I said welcome aboard the _Silent Blade_ " repeated the ghost, louder this time. "Can I trust you to stay without causing any mischief?"

"Yes" Spyro reluctantly uttered.

"Yes what?"

"Yes...grand admiral".

"Good, Abril put him to work and ensure he does not die. Injuries are acceptable".

* * *

As Gaul's ship drifted out into far open ocean, Apex summoned the ape king and his nine soldiers to the bridge.

"There seems to be a lack of discipline on this ship, why is that?!" demanded the tiger. But with his eye movement, it was impossible to take him seriously when he was yelling (or pretending to yell).

"Excuse me?" asked the confused Gaul.

"Gentlemen...or gentleApes...one of you has committed a heinous crime- treason" he began, causing the others to gasp and murmur amongst themselves. "It appears as though Salazar knows of our plan and it's all because of one person on this ship. So I urge that traitor to step forward".

"Traitor? I will not stand for one of my own committed such a cowardly move!" roared Gaul.

"Oh good...because it just so happens that traitor is about to escape using those small boats" Apex pointed over to the rowboats attached to the side of the vessel.

"Maybe it was the dragon" suggested one ape, pointing to Cynder.

"I suggest we cut whoever it is off, by surprising him when he gets down" Apex grinned, winking at Gaul, who in turn began laughing.

"Ah-ha! We'll surprise the wretched traitor when he attempts his escape!" understood Gaul, racing towards one boat.

The other apes each piled inside the others.

"Make sure to leave one for him!" called Cynder.

"Shut up you, you're our prisoner!" snapped Apex.

"Cut the ropes!" ordered Gaul.

Apex complied, cutting the ropes and sending each of the eight rowboats down into the water below. However, as the snickering apes prepared to catch the traitor, a gust of wind swept into their faces, as did splashes of water, as their own ship turned on them, sailing away as fast as possible. The abandoned apes sat there in their little boats, realising they had been crossed by the crafty tiger.

The ship sailed onward at a magnificent pace. Apex returned to the wheel, with Cynder by his side.

"So this was your actual plan?" she realised.

"Well you said we couldn't leave them at the temple" said Apex.

"If we're gonna be allies, you can't keep me in the dark from the plans you have" said Cynder. "But that whole situation made me realise you're a craft character. How do I know you won't cross me when it benefits you, like you did with Gaul?"

Cynder looked ahead, soon realising that she was far from the dragon temple. She was far from everything; on a boat in the middle of nowhere with the most untrustworthy person ever. She felt lost, both physically and mentally. Always, she had felt as if Spyro's destiny was with the Guardians and the temple, and her's was somewhere out there to find, but she didn't mean literally go out into realms she hoped never to see. These open waters bought back painful, clouded memories.

The female dragon closed her eyes and spun her agonising head, it was like a scorpion was pinching her brain. A vivid memory was struggling to fully uncloak itself in her head, she was forcing it to remain hidden. Screams. Fire. Death.

"What's wrong?" wondered Apex.

Cynder snapped out of it and then turned to face the endless amounts of water.

"Where are we going?" she demanded. "This is not the way to the Bloody Sea. Don't think just cause you got your ship back, you can use me as a hostage! Like it or not, your gonna help me get Spyro back!"

Apex sighed.

"This is not my ship, weren't you listening?"

"Kinda hard when my life is being bargained with".

"My ship is the _Silent Blade_ not this trash, also how do you intend to fight an army of dead all by your little self?" questioned Apex.

"I killed them before, I'll do it again, isn't that the reason Salazar wants me dead?" she determinedly vowed.

"He doesn't want to kill you, he needs you to open the portal to the Cursed Realms, only a corrupted dragon born in the Year of the Dragon can do that: either you or the Dark Master and I don't think he wants to be asking the latter" explained the tiger. "For some odd reason he's taken your friend, but once he figures that out he's gonna come after you".

"He already is..." a ghastly voice startled them. They turned to see a large reddish- yellow dragon in front of them. He looked broken, with tattered wings, scratched on his scales and a dead look in his eyes. One of Salazar's slave dragons.

"Ah, it's my best-est friend in the whole world" Apex nervously laughed. "Cynder, this is Syth, mine and Woodrow's old dragon".

"Good, you have the girl" he slowly nodded. "Salazar sent me to tell you, her fate is sealed with providing the opening to the land of the cursed. She must do that, you will take her to the Well of Souls and make sure she does that".

"No, I'm not becoming a monster again!" refused Cynder, fear and anger detected in her voice. "Tell your master, if he wants to fight me, I'll kill him a second time".

"Ah, the same look in your eyes you had on that day" recalled the dragon. "I remember. Your eyes filled with anger and determination. The evil flowing through your veins compelled you; urged you; made you desire killing Salazar and destroying his ship more than anything in the world." Cynder looked closely at him and saw something familiar in him, as he did in her. Something hauntingly familiar.

"You wanted to destroy my ship?" whispered Apex.

"You have three days to turn her in at the Bloody Sea or he will send another dragon out to get her, one equally as fierce" warned Syth, before vanishing into thin air.

"What do we do?!" demanded Cynder.

"First, we're gonna pick up some help, then we're going to go find Master Eon so the old git can tell us how to undo his mistake".

* * *

The sea rose as great mountains, anger in the form of waves, turbulent and unforgiving. Total darkness prevailed as monstrous clouds appeared, blocking out the moonlight and stars, throwing down piles of rain against the phantom ship. All sanity was destroyed upon the sound of a piano haunted the skies. As lightning pounded through the windows of the Admiral's office, the rain battered the bridge, where the undead crew chatted as their dragon slaves washed the floors and kept everything looking tidy.

Spyro winced at this sight. Never before had he seen dragon's in such a weak state. Not since he saved the Guardians anyway. As the sound of Salazar playing screamed into his ears, the purple dragon walked along the wet floors, keeping out of sight of the laughing Spaniards. He didn't belong here. He didn't want to be here. What he wanted was to go home, and to be at least assured that Sparx and Cynder made it out ok.

Not paying attention, the purple dragon barged into another equally as young dragon as he walked. The dragon turned, rage in his eyes that matched the colour of his body.

"Hey!" he yelled, stamping on Spyro's tail, making him turn to.

The dragon had a similar body shape to him, only he was red.

"What do you think your doing?!" he demanded.

"Sorry, I'm not looking for trouble" apologised Spyro.

"Oh, the legendary purple dragon not asking for trouble, all you are is trouble" the red dragon mocked.

"Are you jealous or something?" Spyro insisted, he was never one for handling verbal insults without throwing a smart one back.

The red dragon got even more angry and headbutted him right in the chest. Spyro fell back, crashing into several barrels and causing the crew to erupt in laughter.

"What's that ones name, the purple one?" asked lieutenant Abril from the deck.

"Spyro" answered one guard.

"Oi Spyro, pick up what you dropped!" she ordered.

The other dragon's couldn't help but to notice. One gaunt looking dragon paid more attention than others. This dragon has jet black scales with a bone white underbelly. The former Guardian of Darkness; a perfect addition to the crew of the damned. As a master of using lethal and death moves, he also has a scythe tail blade and wears a skull-mask over his face, hiding his crimson eyes. His wings are full of tears and holes, caused by the dead, yet is still able to soar high into the sky. He was one of the Admiral's best servants.

"No..." he gasped, rushing forward, pushing past the others.

Spyro was furious at this red dragon who delivered him a cocky smile, similar to one he would normally pull. He utilised all his rage and shot out the bit of fire he had left right at him. The red dragon dodged it and the fire caught hold of the mast.

"Put it out!" ordered Abril.

The others panicked and although the rain put the fire out, Spyro was in a heap of trouble. Two guards grabbed him and bought him before Abril.

"Lieutenant this is this is the one who dared attack our seeker, Flame" said the Spaniard.

"I suppose we can't kill him yet, but what we can do is punish him" she grinned, grabbing two electric eels from a barrel and throwing them onto the floor in front of Spyro.

The two guards moved back and the eels slithered their way to the nervous purple dragon, who had no defence against their dangerous sting.

"No!" yelled Exedra, unleashing his dark, shadow like breath onto the eels, burning them and turning them into nothing but ash.

"What is the meaning of this interruption, Exedra, are you mad?!" yelled Abril. "Bring out some more eels!"

"No, I won't let this dragon be subjected to this torture!" proclaimed Syth.

"You won't?" repeated captain Woodrow, exiting his room and pushing past Flame to get to the deck. "And please tell me why this particular dragon deserves to be spared while the others who step out of line mustn't. You do not have a problem then".

Despite his menacing exterior, the broken dragon stared horrifyingly at Spyro and then at his captain.

"It's Spyro" he began. Spyro turned to him, feeling a sense of familiarity. "He's my son. S-Spyro".


	10. Chapter 10

Spyro fought back the push of the guard and spun around, locking his innocent eyes with the dragon who had made this revelation. He refused to believe it. Why, after all these years had his "father" revealed himself, better question, why did he abandon him to serve under the command of Reyes? He could tell by the look in this dark dragons eyes that he equally as disturbed as him, seeing his son in such a weak state, forced to share the same fate as him.

Woodrow glared at them both, realising the similarities. Although the fact that Spyro was a rare purple dragon kinda derailed the claim. Reyes began cackling menacingly.

"What an interesting turn of events, such an unexpected change of luck that these tides swept in a lost little soul to a shattered one" narrated Woodrow. "Lieutenant?"

"He attacked Flame, set fire to the mast, and now his punishment has been rendered useless" explained Abril, shooting a fierce look at Syth.

"In that case, Exedra, perhaps you can decide what should become of your disobedient little kitten" Woodrow turned to him, grinning sickly. "Should we: shoot electricity at him, shoot fire at him or use him as target practise? You decide".

"No, no I won't!" refused the dark dragon, relinquishing his eyes from his captain in horror.

"Sir, this is a cowardly move" a young voice spoke up through the crowd.

The dead looked to one another then to the dragon's, murmuring.

"Let whoever said that be brave enough to face me" demanded Woodrow.

The dragon's moved out the way, to reveal a small, pink dragoness, shivering in the rain, standing on the upper deck. Woodrow beckoned to her with his dead hand, urging her to come forward. She slowly complied, nervously darting around. Spyro turned, instantly recognising her. It was Ember, the pink dragoness he and Sparx met back when they were out to defeat Red. But that was years ago, before he was entangled in this war against the Dark Master. She had a freakishly obsessive crush on him, and Spyro just tried ignoring it. Seeing her again made him turn the same colour as Flame.

"Sir, I-I t-think we s-should let him off with a warning" she stammered. "It would be cruel to subject someone to such torture while their parent is present". Woodrow's eye's opened wider, peering down at the dragon who dared speak up against him. "It is terribly sad for a parent, who devoted everything to his child; loved him or her; to not even be allowed to be re-united with them". She made sure to emphasis on "her" and "re-united" to get through to the captain. Woodrow's eyes turned into grief filled, weary ones. His silence stunned the crew, who had never seen the captain in such an emotional state, as Salazar's music droned on.

Reyes quickly shook it off. "Then I propose an alternative" he decided. "Let the two young dragon's settle out their dispute in Death combat. If Spyro wins: he can stay with his sorry excuse for a father. Should he lose: his father shall be demoted to a reserve, meaning you will stay in the Cursed Realms until one of us dies, which as you can see, will take quite a while. I trust Flame knows the punishment for failing".

Flame stepped forward, giving a nod to Ember, who's body shook with fear. He gave her an assuring "I won't let you down" look.

* * *

In the centre of the bridge, the dead crew stepped to one side, as did the dragons, while Woodrow remained with Abril on the deck. Spyro and Flame circled each other, Flame filled with anger and determination and Spyro filled with confidence and a bit of fear.

"I hope your ready to get your red butt kicked" Spyro cockily said to him.

"Not by you" promised Flame.

The red dragon lunged at him, but Spyro dodged his attack by rolling to his side. Flame swung his tail at him, hitting him in the torso, before headbutting him against the mast.

Exedra began looking worried, seeing his son fight to the death was a truly evil sight. He could easily intervene, he was stronger than all of them. But he knew what would become of poor Ember should he do so.

Flame attacked him again, this time by swinging his claws at him. Spyro moved his head out the way, making Flames claws get stuck into the mast. Now it was time for some revenge. The purple dragon grabbed him and hurled him onto the wooden floor. Flame snapped his head forward and began trying to bite him. His teeth impaled Spyro right in his neck.

Spyro got off him and stepped back, screaming at the pain and at the sight of his blood dripping from his neck.

"Had enough?" asked Flame, panting. He looked over at Ember who was horrified. She had moved on from Spyro, yes, but seeing him in such a state tore her heart to shreds.

Flame ran towards the weak dragon and grasped him tightly by the neck, before taking the battle into the sky. He zoomed upwards, still holding Spyro and threw him down. As he fell, Flame repeatedly swept past him like a silent assassin and scratched him, filling him with cuts and bruises.

Soon Spyro was on the deck, blood dripping from his scales. His weary eyes were locked on Flame as he approached him.

Woodrow grinned at this sight and Abril simply took command of the wheel, refusing to see this battle. Exedra had had enough of this.

"Capitan, end this fight immediately!" he pleaded.

"I'm sorely tempted to refuse that demand, Exedra" returned Woodrow. "This is a forfeit, I will take it as such, you will spend an eternity in the Cursed Realm".

Hearing this, boiled Spyro's blood. He would not let his father be sentenced in his name. He then thought of the Dark Master. If he died now then who would stop him. No one! And Ignitus and Terrador, Cyril, Spark and Cynder...Cynder would all be dead. Thinking of this, he knew he couldn't lose.

The purple dragon's colour began to change. Flame stood still, amazed and puzzled at this sight. Spyro became a ferocious black dragon, whose pupils were replaced with bright white eyes. Dark Spyro lunged at Flame with tremendous speed, repeatedly throwing shots at him, scratching him everywhere and then hurling him into the sky.

Flame landed with a thud and Dark Spyro placed his claw down on his chest.

Exedra was shocked to see his son as a monster of darkness, exactly like him. Sure, he was a dark dragon but he never could've predicted that that would rub on to his son who he had never even laid his crimson eyes upon till now. The crew shared his shock, as did the dragons, Woodrow and even...

Salazar's music stopped droning on and footsteps leading to the deck were heard.

"Please lose" begged Flame, weakly.

His plea made Spyro realise what he had done and he reverted back to his normal form.

"...Please lose" pleaded Flame, softly.

Not a single word or breath was heard, as the Grand Admiral walked along the deck and glared at this sight. He looked at Exedra, who approached him nervously. He had never seen the grand admiral in person, but had heard stories of a terrifying Spanish leader, a man who hunted and killed thousands of dragon's.

"I beg you sir to spare these two young dragon's" pleaded Exedra.

"Spyro. Such a wonderful name" began Salazar, completely dodging the topic. "I do believe I first suggested the name 'Pyro' to your mate when she wandered about what to call him; I suggested that because Pyro means a fiery colour in Latin (a language on our planet), who would've guessed he would be purple and not like you. Then you decided to call him Spyro. Be grateful, I allowed his egg to remain with Ignitus".

"I am eternally grateful, sir, I promised to serve on the _Blade_ " said Exedra.

"I will deal with you two...and I believe Ember too might have some say in the matter" grinned Salazar.

Ember was close to tears, and Flame was utterly shattered, realising what this meant.

* * *

Spyro and Flame were thrown below deck, where water was filling up the decaying room. The two worn out, bruised dragon's turned to the approaching Salazar.

"Flame I do believe you lost the Death Battle, so I am forced to do something drastic" he said, bringing Ember forward.

The terrified dragoness had a silver collar attached to her neck, with one guard holding a small button on his wrist. He pressed it, sending deadly electricity flowing all over the poor Ember. She began screaming in agony as the electric flowed through her.

"What are you doing?!" shouted Spyro.

"No don't do this, sir, I will make up for it!" screamed Flame.

"You have tried to kill the one who I said time and time again, I need!" shouted Salazar. "Higher, again!"

The guard turned up the power, making Ember feel more pain, as she dropped to the ground, with tears gushing out of her eyes.

"Stop, I forgive him, I don't care about it at all!" intervened Spyro.

"I do care about defiance" said Salazar. "Make certain you retrieve Cynder in two days, or she will not live to see the third".

"Cynder?" repeated Spyro.

"I will, now don't harm her!" promised Flame.

Salazar looked down at Ember and then at the other two. The guard looked at his leader.

"...Hmm" he began. "I wonder if it can go any higher". He signalled to the guard, who turned up the shock blast.

Flame and Spyro were powerless, the fight drained their strength and hearing Ember's cries killed them both inside.

"Now that I have your attention, Spyro, know this" lectured Salazar. "There is a price for freedom and you have none: not since your birth, now now, not ever. Nothing happens on this ship without my knowledge, and all you filthy dragons will die just as you killed me. As I said, Welcome aboard the _Silent Blade_ , the price of entering is blood".

He retreated from the cabin with Ember and her guard and then slammed the door shut.

 **(So Flame and Spyro have a Sonic-Shadow relationship going on)**


	11. Chapter 11

Flame got up sorely and stomped off down the flooding room, followed by Spyro.

"I had no idea you were protecting Ember all this time" he said.

Flame took no notice of his "apology" and continued walking on.

"Would you at least turn and talk?" demanded the purple dragon. "Look, we can get out off this ship if we work together-

"Can't you see that Ember is cursed to this ship, where it goes she goes, if I run they'll kill her!" Flame finally spoke.

The red dragon went over to a chest in the corner of the room and opened it with his snout. Inside was a golden bracelet, which he placed around his neck and it attached itself nicely, making him look like a warrior.

"So what do you plan on doing?" asked Spyro, softly.

"I'm gonna find the evil black dragon that caused all this and bring her to Salazar, then Ember will be free" he explained, his voice filled with anger.

Spyro knew what dragon he was referring to- Cynder. And he knew that Cynder had nothing to do with this and he would not sit by and allow his friend to be attacked in a similar way he was earlier.

"So you're gonna torture one innocent dragon to save another, some plan" snorted Spyro.

Flame slammed the chest closed and locked eyes with him.

"Innocent? Would an innocent lay waste to half the realms, would an innocent dragon hunt, purge and murder thousands in service of the Dark Master?" he questioned.

"That wasn't her fault, she was being used; corrupted by his evil" defended Spyro. "And if you dare touch her, I'll-

"You'll watch along with me as they kill Ember, while we are both powerless to save her" Flame finished his sentence.

Spyro shuddered. He hated to admit it but the red dragon was right. If Flame did not comply with what Reyes and Salazar ordered him to do, they would kill Ember. And it was quite clear that he had the means to make her feel excruciating pain before he would finally end her misery. He had to free her from the accursed ship, along with his father, if he truly is what he claimed to be.

"What are you going to do?" asked Flame, softly. "You're trapped here as is your father, what are you gonna do?"

"...I'm gonna leave, and I'm taking both my father and Ember with me, and you" he vowed.

Flame rolled his eyes and let out a fake snicker. "Good luck, but you won't see any mercy from me if you get Ember in more trouble".

Spyro wanted to remind the arrogant dragon that it was actually him who granted him mercy in their fight, but he thought it best to leave it out.

Flame went to the bridge two hours later, where the rain had mostly stopped, and Reyes was waiting for him by the side of the vessel.

"Three days" repeated Woodrow. "I know I can rely on you Flame, even if you disappointed me in the death battle. Three days, starting now".

Flame nodded and took to the skies.

* * *

Blood island was as scary as it sounds. An island consisting of nothing but beaches and large, luscious forests was soon transformed into a safe haven for all creatures who managed to escape Cynder's onslaught. The main town consisted of several ship wrecks all merged together to form various shops and homes. A main hotel was just in front of a dormant volcano, the lava in the crater lit up the island.

Cynder and Apex stood on the wooden pathway outside the town, just before the never-ending ocean and studied the several applicants in front of them. Gaul's ship, which Cynder nicknamed _Forever Red_ because of it's red coloured wooden planks, was tied safely to the wooden trees. There was some sort of party going on and everyone was dancing to the music and having a good time behind them.

First of, their was a red-suited man, who's red armour somewhat resembled a pirate. Actually more like a futuristic space pirate. Next was a Cheetah from the Valley of Avalar. Finally was young ice dragon, Tundra.

"So this is your 'help'?" Cynder turned to Apex, sceptical whether these five would be enough to outwit Salazar.

"Actually I'm only here for the free drinks" admitted the Cheetah, Asilas.

"I don't want to be that 'guy' but in these occasions, don't the girl die straight away?" said the red suited man, Rae.

"Aw come on, that's sexist, whenever I say that I get banned, why isn't he?!" protested Asilas.

"Because I'm a Grand admiral" boasted Rae.

Everyone immediately stopped dancing and turned to the group. Apex quickly extended a leaf of a plant to cover him, out of embarrassment.

"...I mean, not really" denied Rae. "That's just a euphemism for...captain".

Everyone continued as they were.

"Wait, wait, wait, grand admiral?" repeated Cynder, recognising the similar role that Salazar has.

"He's Salazar's successor, there hasn't been a grand admiral since his death and now Rae is the new one" explained Apex.

"Yep, and I think I'm doing a pretty good job" goaded Rae.

"And you don't mind facing Salazar?" asked the black dragoness.

"If it will get me back to Earth, then yes" said Rae, as the _Blade_ was the only thing that could venture beyond the Dragon Realms and back again.

"Anyway, next is Asilas (don't need him, he's boring) and finally is Tundra" introduced the tiger.

"She's hot" whispered Tundra to Asilas.

"Put your hopes way down, she's already found a purple lover" teased Apex, overhearing what he said. "Unless we can't save him, in which case he'd be dead".

"What...I'm not...I mean Spyro isn't-" Cynder turned red with embarrassment.

"So it's agreed, we get the _Silent Blade_ back under my control, together, by finding Eon and trapping Salazar in the Cursed Realm" Apex summed up, turning to Cynder who was still unsure. "What could possibly go wrong?"

"The _Blade_ was never yours!" thundered an approaching voice.

A sinister skeleton stepped forward.

"Ah Moneybone, out and about...what?" grinned the tiger.

"It was my money that funded the _Blade_ " he revealed.

"My design, makes me captain" argued Apex.

"It's my ship, end of".

"Is not".

"Is so".

"Is not".

"Is so".

"Is so...not".

"It is so and you know it!"

"Is not; blatant fabrication".

"Enough!" thundered Cynder. "Apex, what we need to do is find Eon, Ignitus told me that he was the one who made Salazar go insane with his false promises. Something, about him being separated from his family".

Apex and Moneybone looked at each other in confusion.

"...Ok, don't know how these myth's got mixed up over time but that's history for you" said Rae.

"Am I too late to join captain?" asked another voice.

They turned to meet a red dragon, Flame, approaching them.

"I'd like to sign up, sir" he introduced himself. "Name's Flame and I think I can be of some assistance to you, I saw the _Blade_ pass by, I know where it's gonna be".

"Welcome aboard" accepted Apex.

* * *

On the ship, Moneybone and Apex continued arguing over control of it. Moneybone quickly ran towards the wheel and stirred it. Apex noticing this, learned out his left paw and pulled it in his direction. The skeleton used both his bony hands to pull harder and eventually the wheel ended up spinning around, hitting the two of them.

"So, Flame, is it, what brings you here?" asked Tundra.

"I'm here to settle a score with someone" he said, eyeing Cynder with a "I hate you to death" look.

"Salazar, eh?" assumed the ice dragon. "Done a lot of bad things to people, including killing my father a couple of days ago. I will stop him from killing any more dragons".

Flame eyed Cynder. She stood at the corner of the ship, sadly drifting her eyes towards the water flowing beneath the _Red_ as it sailed towards a river with poison flowing beneath it, wishing the water would flow right through her broken soul. He looked at her tense body language, and instead of feeling hatred for her, he began seeing a resemblance between her sorrowful state and Ember, something which prevented him from immediately killing her. But he would get his chance, eventually.

"Not so scary now is she?" Tundra read his thoughts.

"To think that little thing did all of this" said Flame, looking at the poison river.

"Your wrong there, it was not Cynder who caused this, but another evil...who's breath stinks" interrupted Asilas.

"We're nearly there" said Moneybone, taking out his telescope and looking at the fortress ahead. Apex put his mouth in front of the glass and breathed. Moneybone growled and began wiping it.

Apex sneakily took his sword out and sliced in two, making the spy glass fall into the ocean.

"You did that on purpose!" accused the skeleton.

"Did not!" he denied.

"Did too!"

"Did not".

"Did to".

"Did not"

"Did to".

"Oh boy" grunted Asilas.

"Liar, liar, bones on fire!"

"You did so and you know it!"

* * *

The group entered a creepy shack that consisted of several wicked objects, such as poison, gold, and other creepy objects. Like a living macabre, a place where the dead go to die.

A bald headed man stepped forward, with tattoos on his head and a cloak wrapped around him.

"Count Moneybone!" he greeted. "I always knew you would come crawling back to me".

Apex spotted a red ruby and quickly picked it up and hid it in his pocket.

"I thoughts we once were friends" snickered Moneybone.

"Friends, I barely knew you!" denied the bald man.

"I was your dad's best man at his wedding" joked the skeleton. "He was gonna leave you, but I told him to stay and call you Chaos".

"Shut up!" he hissed.

"So, Chaos, long time no see" greeted Apex.

"So, Woodrow's old partner reveals himself eh?"

"I know, I'm flattered, no need to thank me for doing away with Salazar".

"Thank you?!"

"You're welcome".

"You, you didn't do anything, it was Cynder" said Asilas, pushing Cynder forward. Rae was left to guard the ship.

Chaos was stunned, looking at her after so many years, and Cynder in turn was horrified at his appearance, yet remembering a chilling and hopeful message delivered to her once...

 _It's all up to you, Cynder._

"You!" she cried, jumping on the table in front of him. "You put those chains around me! I remember!"

"It was necessary to keep you safe" argued Chaos.

"Do have any idea what it was like forced to be slave!" she roared at him.

"...No, not really" Chaos snickered. "But it seems like their is a fresh gust of wind, that provides me hope that Salazar will be stopped".

"And how do we do that?" asked Flame.

Chaos took out an ancient book titled "The Legend of...

"What an incomplete rubbish book" snorted Apex.

"This book is the history of the realms yet it's name remains incomplete until the prophecy of the purple dragon is fulfilled, until then it's just called 'Legend of'" explained Chaos. "I think it will be the name of the dragon who 'saves us'".

"It'll never sell" joked Apex.

Chaos opened up the book to a page with a picture of the terrifying ship itself and of an amazing, magnificent, adult black dragon soaring past it. Below was a young Spanish captain.

"My ship, is my picture in this, what am I wearing?" asked Apex.

"You mean MY ship" interrupted Moneybone.

Chaos ignored them. "It was a prosperous time for the realms, everyone had gotten over the treachery of Malefor, thanks to Eon's leadership (idiot). He had created a 'heaven' for dragon's, with the Guardians as the leaders. However as dragons grew in size, the humans down below did as well. Blank edges of the map was being filled in, and dragons were no longer safe, it was up to Eon to navigate them here. He employed the help of a handsome, magnificent black dragon to assist him in this task. He turned him into a human in order to make it easier for him to get to Earth and back, on board his wonderful ship-

"Which he made me captain off" coughed Apex.

"The _Cynder_ he called it, however, when he returned after 10 years he discovered that his mate was dead at the doing of Eon. With her dead, his mission was incomplete, so he was forced to be in the human body forever. Enraged; betrayed; lost, the man became a monster, laying waste to everything in his sight. I assisted him in fighting Eon, but eventually the old fool banished him to the Cursed Realms. Several years later, Salazar took command of the ship and continued a mass genocide of all dragons, until you stopped him".

Cynder looked to the pictures in the book and then at Chaos with a understanding look.

"Now, he wishes to open the Cursed Realms and release and ancient evil to destroy Malefor- I know sounds good right- but this evil can only exist if Eon is dead, as it is the opposite of his good. He needs a corrupted dragon to open the portal- you Cynder- and then he will make dragon's an extinct species".

"Well we can't let him do that!" proclaimed Tundra.

"You will need the purple dragon to help you, Eon will recognise him and agree to help you" said Chaos, handing Apex a map, which Moneybone tried tugging of him.

Chaos glanced at Flame with a knowledgeable look, seeing through his lies, but he chose not to warn them, secretly wishing Moneybone to be killed while fighting Salazar.

"And luckily I know where the ship is going!" Flame chimed in.

"Excellent, it seems like Salazar is not on the ship because whoever was in charge thinks they need Spyro, so all that's left to do is sneak onboard and steal Spyro back" Apex listed it like it was simple. But it was far from simple.


	12. Chapter 12

Now the _Red_ silently awaited the _Blade_ in an empty area of the Bloody sea. All was silent, everything was still. Rae could be heard dropping cynical remarks about how they would all die if they stayed put.

"If I die and Apex lives I will haunt him for as long as he lives" he said.

"Hey I didn't ask you to come" said Apex.

"Yes but your the reason I'm stuck here" groaned Rae.

Asilas lit a torch. "There isn't that better?"

"Whats better about it? I liked it better before when I could see!" shouted Moneybone.

"Bonebag the lights turned off" Apex reminded him.

"Yes they did, when you turned them off!"

Midnight drew near, Cynder found herself staring at the reflection of the moonlight in the ocean. Flame came over to her and stood by her side. He could see fear in her eyes and nothing but pain showing from her body language.

"What's wrong with you, you seem so depressed?" he asked.

Cynder didn't answer, choosing to stare at the moonlight and stars under the velvet sky.

"I'm just...frustrated" she admitted. "I'm sorry if I ever did anything evil to you in your life, I probably did, because I'm nothing but a genocidal freak who deserves to join Salazar in death".

That really got to Flame. Why would she say that? It was true, she did do something to him: she killed his parents back when he was 5 and he had hated her ever since. But he felt like this wasn't the time or the place to say that. Despite his slight moment of feels he felt for her, Flame had nothing but hatred for this she-devil.

"There is no ship in this sea" Rae finally said after an hour.

"Well, he says it is" Moneybone pointed to Flame.

"Yeah I know what he said Bonebag but, here's the thing, it's a known fact that dragons have low brain cells-

"No it's not!" protested Tundra.

"- since he clearly has no idea where to go" continued Rae.

Suddenly a gigantic warship emerged form underneath the ocean, sending hurls of water down onto the crew.

"You were saying?" laughed Asilas sarcastically.

"It's to late to turn back now" laughed Apex, taking out his golden sword. "Captain Reyes, can I have my ship back?"

Silence.

Cynder's heart was polluted with fear, her entire body shook from head to tail. Flame looked at her, seeing the same fear built up in Ember whenever Salazar tortured her. Her legs began quaking and she was sweating all over, her eyes widened and her tail began spinning uncontrollably. She knew it; her time was up. She was going to end up like Salazar- dead.

* * *

Below deck, Exedra found Spyro, who ran from him.

"Spyro, thank goodness I found you, son!" he excitedly cried, his first smile in twelve years.

"Took you twelve years!" shouted Spyro, tears appearing in his eyes.

"Spyro, I saved your life".

"And I'm supposed to thank you after you abandoned me!?" he screamed, his eyes watering.

The tattered elder dragon hugged the purple dragon.

"Spyro, when you were born, we knew the Dark Master would be looking for you, and he did, your mother was killed trying to protect you, while I made a deal with Reyes that I would serve as a reserve on this ship, in return they would watch over allow you to live".

"Why...do you have to?" cried the little dragon.

"For your sake!"

"I don't want to be with an evil creature like you, I'd rather be with Ignitus!" wailed the young Dragon.

These words broke Exedra even more but he knew Spyro was only 12 and wouldn't understand. His anger was more directed at Reyes (who killed his mate) and Salazar.

"Don't worry, everything will be ok?" he promised, hugging him tighter this time. "I'll get you off this ship and back to Ignitus, I promise".

* * *

"Well that was anticlimactic" said Rae, lowering his sword after a while.

Suddenly 17 dead figures appeared out of nowhere, grabbing all of them.

"Hold, and await orders!" ordered Abril, pointing her pistol at Apex and Moneybone.

"Kill him, he's captain of this ship! Do him!" Moneybone pointed at Apex.

"He's lying, he wear curlers to bed!" Apex randomly replied.

"No, it's not what you think!" shivered Moneybone.

Abril looked at them in disgust and annoyance.

"Flame, deal with her" she nodded to Flame.

Finally, Flame could avenge his parents and everything that had ever happened to Ember.

"Filthy scum" insulted Tundra.

Flame gave her an uppercut, then when she was on the floor, he grabbed her and flew onto the _Blade_ , hurling her to the floor and began scratching and hitting her violently. Cynder was defenceless, the fear of Salazar had prevented her from acting. Flame was unstoppable, continuing to hit her, not caring that she was a girl.

He then stretched out his paws and began choking her. Cynder gasped for breath but was unable to breath, as his grip was to strong.

"This is for my parents!" he roared, preparing to end her for good, using his other paw to give her a nasty strike across her left eye.

Reyes and Salazar entered the bridge to see their prisoners.

"So Apex Z you are-" Reyes paused, stopped everything he was doing and fixed his eyes to Flame choking a young black dragoness to death. He was stilled, horror consuming his cursed body.

"Now, you will pay for what you did to Ember" he promised, lifting his claw and preparing to strike a final blow. Cynder covered her eyes, preparing for her, what she believed, was her deserved fate.

"Belay that!" ordered Reyes, his voice booming through the crew's noise. He ran towards them, grabbed Flame and hurled him against a rowboat. Looking at the weakened dragoness on the floor he turned to Flame. The furious captain took out his gun, prepared to kill Flame but Salazar put his hand in the way, holding him back "Permission to kill this filth, grand admiral?!"

"Denied, I have a much more better method as punishment" Salazar turned to Flame, who in turn realised what this meant for him and for Ember.

"...Please don't kill me" Cynder weakly and gently coughed out.

"No, don't worry, no one will lay a claw on you" Woodrow soothed, stroking her snout gently. The crew's reaction was a shocked one, never before had they seen their captain like this. "Take this filth to the brig and make sure he stays there".

"Admiral?" Abril beckoned to Salazar. The other sailors didn't move, instead they all looked to Salazar for orders.

"I AM CAPTAIN OF THE SILENT BLADE, THIS IS MY SHIP, YOU WILL DO AS I COMMAND!" Reyes voice thundered, shocking everyone yet again, even making Salazar's face change. "And none of you dare touch her or you to will pay!"

"Yes Capitan, sorry sir" Abril silently complied, looking to Salazar expecting some sort of harsh reaction.

"You heard, Capitan Reyes, take Flame to his cell and if anyone of you dare touch Cynder, you will spend an eternity in the Cursed Realm!" added Salazar.

The voice of the grand admiral entered Cynder's head and now she had realised he was standing above her. Her fears returned, she prepared for the worst. His dreadful voice was finally heard speaking to her.

"Hello, Cynder, I do believe we've met" Salazar greeted.

 **(I'm gonna take a break from this story for a while. Salazar is a mixture of the PotC Salazar, in terms of terrifying and dead, and Thrawn from Star wars, in terms of tactical genius)**


	13. Price of Freedom

Flame was tossed into his cold, damp cell, where Salazar had kept him for so many years before finally allowing him to leave, only so that he could be trained to hunt and capture those that he is commanded to- most notably Cynder.

As the guard retreated from the filthy, flooding cell, Flame got up and tried to ensure Ember's safety.

"Please, I want to speak to the admiral, please, I did what you all wanted me to!" he pleaded frantically.

"You beast, we said 'alive'!" retorted the undead Spaniard.

"Don't make me bite your wrist" growled Flame.

"My wrist has a button on it. A button that can kill Ember at any time, and my finger longs to press it" laughed the guard.

"Please, just let me speak to-

"To speak you must open your mouth and words must come out, you did that therefore you have spoken. So what on Earth are you complaining about?" a shady voice asked. It was Salazar, entering the cell as well.

"But s-sir we're not on Earth" the homesick guard whispered to him.

"I meant speak to you" Flame finished his interrupted sentence. "I did what you asked, I got Cynder for you and you have Spyro, now free Ember!"

Salazar entered the cell and looked to the childish drawings on the stone wall at the end of the damp room. It was of two large dragons and a baby one.

"You when you were...5 I presume, or 6, since you were 7 when we came across you" he said, changing the subject. "You should not have attacked Cynder, she is seriously wounded, close to death. You have sparked conflict between me and the commander of this ship".

"Why does Woodrow care so much?" Flame rolled his eyes, dismissively. His eyes darted to the guard, standing by the cell door, he was tossing a small metal object in his hand. It was the button that controls Ember's shock collar. Flame got the message and lowered his arrogant tone. "Release her, keep me for all I care but release Ember, she had no choice but to be on this ship."

"Did Cynder not also have a choice...was she not stolen at birth, corrupted, tortured as Ember is now to be his slave and then kill thousands in his name?" questioned Salazar, still studying the drawings, his back turned from Flame.

"I-I don't know what came over me, seeing her face made me angry. I hate her!" Flame screamed. "She killed my parents and it's her fault I'm on this damn ship! I want her to die!"

"And she will soon..." assured Salazar, his eerie voice made Flame regret his comment.

"Wait, what are you going to do with her exactly?" asked the red dragon. Although he strongly hated Cynder, seeing her at the thrall of the grand admiral made him feel as if something was not right, something that tore his brain apart.

"Why do you care, she killed your parents, didn't she?" returned Salazar, walking past him. "Or did she?"

"She did, didn't she?"

"No, I did" revealed the terrifying phantom. These words tore open Flame's eyes, his fiery red pupils staring directly at the admiral whilst also glaring at the snickering guard, who knew the truth. "I remember it like it was...12 years ago. Which it was. I was chasing a small band of surviving dragons, the last ones, to finally finish my job of exterminating these filthy beasts, when suddenly I came under attack from a young dragon. Cynder. Of the dragons rallying behind her, only two were fire dragons- your parents. I believe your father warned Cynder of my quadruple canons, to which she destroyed, but not before the four blasts took him out. Then I aimed for your mother, but Cynder, she took a brave, very risky decision when she flew directly through the _Blade_ even turning to mock me, to distract me from your already dying mother. Reyes assumed she had corrupted Cynder, so we killed her later on".

Flame was shocked. He wanted to be hit by lightning. His heart was being ripped to pieces. All this time, he was serving the one who had killed his parents, blindly following his orders. He had nearly killed Cynder, who had protected his parents, who had saved them all from extinction and mercilessly beat up Spyro. He would have no more of his anger issues making him do what's wrong, this time, for once, his eyes welled with tears. Tears from the truth, tears for poor Spyro and Cynder, who because of him would be dead soon.

"W-why? Why after all this time are you telling this to me?" he quivered, holding back his cries.

"The Price of Freedom" answered Salazar. "Your duty to the _Silent Blade_ has been renounced. I'm setting you free; Reyes refuses to have you on board and he will not comply with any further orders unless I dispose of you. But the price is that you will live forever with the guilt of what you did to Cynder. The poor, scared girl is very hurt, I doubt she'll live for longer than five hours".

"No, please find a way to save her-

"You said that about Ember as well" recalled the ghost. "Tell you what, you can take one with you. Who will it be: the dying dragoness that you have brutally attacked, or the defenceless pink one, who I hold the button to her death? If you choose Cynder, you can live with the guilt of abandoning Ember to whatever fate I decide for her. Saving Ember will come at a price to, your guilt and also the little detail of Reyes' reaction if Cynder dies- I imagine he'll have someone to blame. I suggest you choose quickly, because if she dies now, than Woodrow will kill Ember immediately".

"Ember...I choose Ember" Flame sobbed at the thought of Cynder's grim fate. But really, Salazar wasn't gonna kill her, he needed her. However, he knew she was dying and that was a problem. Luckily for him, his former frenemy, Apex Z was here. With a ship. And a crew. Including someone who appeared to have a similar uniform to him. They could assist him.

"Well then, your ride departs in an hour so I suggest you kiss your cell goodbye, and clean my walls of those baby drawings of your stupid, dead parents, I don't want them were my quadruple canons used to be. After all, you're father told Cynder to destroy them".

"Go to hell!" Flame gritted his teeth.

"I'm living in hell, or dying in hell...can't complain really" laughed Salazar, evilly. "If I ever fully get there, I'll make sure to keep your seat warm, murderer".

"So are you!" he screamed back.

"I know, I'm proud of that fact" said Salazar, leaving the cell. "Are you?"

The guard locked it, and as Flame wept he could hear the voice of the guard drone on from the mouldy hallway.

"Oh I get it, 'keep your seat warm' because hell has fire" laughed the guard, finally understanding.

"Idiot" muttered the grand admiral. "Go fetch me Apex Z, I need to speak with him.

 **So as I said, I'm taking a break from this story. I managed to write this small little chapter for people who are waiting for an update but yeah I'm gonna leave this story for a while. Also I renamed it "Price of Freedom" as it sounds more fitting to the story of Spyro and Cynder (they never really had freedom since they were born) and also to Ember and Flame in this story. Salazar and Reyes, too, are cursed so they don't have much freedom either.**


	14. Chapter 14

On the captured boat, Apex walked slowly towards Abril, who was watching over the prisoners while looking up at the phantom ship to see why all the guards were crowding around one specific area.

"So, honey, how'd you die?" he asked.

"Shut up, you know how!" she hissed, pushing him away from her.

"Oh right...now I remember" smirked Apex, taking out an apple from his pocket and taking a bite. "Well, sweetheart, it's like I always told you...actually I don't remember really saying much other than 'don't die'".

She angrily grabbed his apple and hurled it into the sea.

"I was eating that!" protested the tiger.

Tundra eyed Rae nervously, who's own expressions couldn't be made clear since his face was concealed by a crimson and black helmet.

"So I take it we have a back-up plan" he whispered.

"Well the _Blade's_ right here, all that's left is to capture it" he replied. "Of course that's easier said than done".

"A lot easier" gulped Tundra.

"So your Salazar's replacement" Abril looked at Rae, unimpressed.

"I am?...Did I say that..I don't know who..where" he stammered.

"You've been boasting about it for the last 30 minutes" she recalled.

"I did? Oh right, then it's true. I am the new Grand Admiral".

"Maybe we can compromise" suggested Asilas, but as he spoke one dead figure with no face placed a sword in front of him.

"Yeah, a compromise" agreed Apex, nodding slightly. "Firstly...no secondly, I will give you Asilas, the small dragon, the weird red guy, and you can keep Bonebags-

"Moneybone" interrupted the skeleton.

"-Whatever he counts as dead anyway, and I get my ship back. Just get rid of your zombie friends" he offered. "Oh and firstly, I will need Cynder back".

"That will soon be impossible if you do not assist us!" called a voice. Captain Woodrow Reyes jumped down onto the _Red_ and confronted his old "friend".

"Oh...Woodrow, you look good" he smirked, trying to stammer his way out of his predicament. "Did you get your hat back? I got mine, how's the wife?"

"Long dead" answered Reyes. "But I have a more pressing matter: Cynder is dying thanks to Flame and without proper medication, which we do not possess, she won't live for long".

"Ah, so want me to take the _Blade_ and find a way to save your precious little devil" guessed Apex, smiling at the chance to get his ship back.

"No, I want you to take this trash you call a ship, and bring back something to heal her in four hours or-

"Why should I care? All I want is Spyro back...and my ship. So?" Apex lied about the part about Spyro.

"Want I should kill that red dragon or the poor pink one?"

"Kill them, I don't know either of em".

"There must be something other than the ship you want" Woodrow rolled his eyes. "And your not taking Cynder!"

"Ah...I see, she's...and you are...now I remember why she is so 'precious'" Apex grinned evilly.

"Yes, we need her as leverage"

"Hm, you need her as leverage or you want to keep her as far away from me as possible?"

"Yes!"

"And you think Salazar's gonna treat her like a Queen? No, he needs her for his own leverage-

"Wait!" interrupted a croaky voice.

They turned to see Exedra on the ship.

"I told all dragons to stay clear, why are you here?!" demanded Reyes.

"Apex, I beg you to take my son, Spyro, with you" he demanded. "I will not have him share my grim fate to serve on this ship".

Reyes snorted. "Well at least you've given me something to bargain with".

Apex looked at the dark dragon, his physical appearance was misleading but at the same time he saw some similarities between him and the purple dragon, such as the eyes. And Spyro didn't seem like the traitorous wretch Flame is.

"Perhaps you'd like to take this discussion to my superior" suggested Reyes.

* * *

Apex entered the desolate quarters of Admiral Salazar and turned his attention to the rustic, dark antics that surrounded the room. As he walked further on into the shady room, he glared a the sculptures of dragon's and other monsters. One looked sought of like a skeleton while the other resembled a ninja styled warrior.

Salazar was beset; at the end of the room, sitting in his chair, with his fingers leaned against one another and the dark shadows of the room covering his face, except for his glowing red eyes.

"Take a seat and stop playing with my trophies" ordered Salazar.

Apex stopped touching the golden dragon figure's long tongue and sat down in front of the desk.

"I hear you trying to retake your ship, but you know as well as I do that you intend to stop my plan- the ship is a bonus objective but not primary" Salazar saw right through his deception.

"I intend to get Rae back to Earth, for that I need Eon's help. Additionally, I want Cynder back if you please" said Apex, leaning closer.

"How long do you intend to keep her hidden from me, I will find her. It took me a day to get her here already. I have waited too long for this moment, I have everything carefully calculated and prepared for".

"You're gonna find and kill Eon; use Cynder to open the portal to the Cursed Realms permanently; use Nitrix Slazar to kill the Dark Master; then return to the living on Earth" Apex listed his plan for him.

"Precisely, for that I need Cynder- who is currently in a critical state".

"And how does your captain fit into this plan? He won't let you kill Cynder".

"That is why I am misleading him. Why do you think I nabbed Spyro-so he could be re-united with his dad- you will take Spyro and find Eon, he is the only one who has what is required to heal Cynder from her wounds. He will listen to you once he sees Spyro. We will meet you at Eon's palace in the sky with Cynder".

"So basically we're just swapping Spyro for Cynder before she dies?" asked the tiger, swinging on the chair.. Salazar nodded. "Could've just said that then. So you're gonna make Reyes think you will get Spyro back with Cynder as leverage when really it's the other way around? And yet I get nothing".

"I'm sure Eon has plenty of things to offer you" grinned the ghostly admiral. "Do you accept my offer or not. Or should I kill you right now and you can return to my crew?"

"I accept; I go free in exchange for healing Cynder".

"Remember, there is always a price of freedom and your's comes at the cost of having now three hours to find Eon and make him give you the medicine before Cynder dies, or we find and kill you anyway. Find him in two and I'll consider dropping my so-called 'replacement' back to Earth".

Apex knew better than to trust Salazar. The grand admiral always had a back-up plan, he was right he waited to long for this moment. He must have everything prepared.

"I suggest you hurry up and get back to your ship" said Salazar, interrupting his thoughts. "I'll be keeping Moneybone by the way". he added that demand, knowing that Eon would guess something's up if he saw his skeleton enemy.

Apex darted out of the office and headed towards the _Red._

"Once we get to the skies, we will kill both Apex and Eon, then take Spyro back to complete the ritual" Salazar assured Reyes.

"But say if they hide Spyro or resist?" he questioned.

"They won't so long as we have Cynder".

* * *

The tiger turned to the young purple dragon, and Tundra who was fan-girling at seeing a purple dragon. Rae was steering the ship as fast as he could to get to the Mystic sea (the portal to the Skies).

"Apex, my father is on that ship, I'm gonna get him off" he declared.

"Currently not possible, not with a two hour deadline" dismissed the tiger.

"Ship ahoy!" pointed Asilas, at a small approaching vessel.

A small dinghy with two small dragons was adrift in the sea. It was Flame and Ember. Flame could fly, yes, but Ember was severely weakened by her constant shock attacks that she couldn't even lift her wings.

"Don't worry, Ember, it'll be ok" he promised.

"You beast, why did you do that to Cynder?!" she bellowed at him, raising her head. Her fiery voice matching his colour. "All you had to do was bring her here, but instead you decided to beat the living crap into her first, and over what exactly? Lies?"

"I didn't know" he defended. "I thought she was the one-

"See this is your problem, your level-headed arrogance once again messed everything up. Spyro's like that but at least he knows if what he does is right or wrong" she continued to scold him.

 _I'm gonna get Cynder of that ship one way or another_.

When Asilas and Tundra pulled them up, Spyro immediately pounced on Flame, pinning him to the ground and placing a claw over his face.

"Now look what you've done, you nearly killed Cynder and now because of you she's stuck with Salazar! Now we have two hours to do their bidding or die as well, thank you very much!"

"Hey...at least you got to meet your father" stammered Flame, grinning.

Spyro got off him only to give him one of his trademark headbutt.

"Relax romeo, you'll get your chick back because I know which direction to go to get up there" said Apex pointing to the skies. "This ship is too crowded. The pink one can stay (we don't really have a choice since her wings are tattered) but that misleading monkey can go".

"I'll meet you back on land" promised Flame, taking to the skies.

But he wasn't heading to land. He had his own plan to free Cynder and he wasn't gonna stop until he did.

* * *

"Finally my own people!" cheered Moneybone, prancing around the deck as the dead tried figuring out what's wrong with Cynder. He approached the wheel and saw Abril. "Hey, beautiful, how's life".

She responded by whacking his skull and throwing him back onto the deck.

"Any more bandages?" demanded Reyes.

"We have no more, we're dead why would we?" replied the guard.

The Earth dragon that was caring for Cynder tried covering up her huge gaping wound with his claw, but that only caused more blood to spill out and cover the floorboards.

"You idiot, not like that!" Reyes roared at her, making her back away. "Oi, Bonebin!"

"Moneybone!"

"Whatever, do you have anything that could fix her bleeding eye?"

"No, that's not even possible is it?"

"Why not use our poison spell?" suggested Salazar.

"Sir, you know what will happen then. Her wounds will heal but she will be delicate for 24 hours and then die!" argued Woodrow.

"Well she's dying now, do you have anything better? What will we then use as leverage if she's dead. Eon will have what we need to heal that spell and Apex is going to him".

Reyes looked at Cynder as she coughed more blood onto the paws of a female ice dragon that was attending to her.

"Your point is logical" agreed Reyes. "Bring out the poison spell!"

"May I make a suggestion?" asked Moneybone, fiddling with Salazar's stuff. "Maybe you should keep her locked in a bedroom or something so she can rest and so no one will harm her. Like you said, she will be delicate once the spell is inflicted on her".

"The skeleton raises a good point, although with Flame gone I can't think of anyone else that would harm her" agreed Salazar.

"Lets just hope he stays gone" said Reyes.

 **If you haven't noticed, I changed Spyro's fathers name from Syth to Exedra, sounds much more cooler. I actually got the idea from a user called** **Dusk Mane Necrozma, who PMed me the idea as well as a name for Spyro's mother which I will use later.**


	15. Chapter 15

The path Cynder had taken through the meadow was as visible as any trail in a fresh snowfall. The tall grasses, inflexible in their dryness were flattened from the far hedgerow to the canopy of woodland leaves where she now stood drinking from a still pond. After a while she gently moved her small, young wings into the air. She absorbed the warmth of the blissful meadows that surrounded her and quickly took the skies. Below she could see everything; a baby pink dragoness playing with her parents and a red one flying with his dad. The small face was overcome with joy due to the wondrous view of the land below her. The sun was shining higher than it had ever done, like a golden balloon. The excited dragoness soon lost focus and her small, undeveloped wings couldn't stand the gentle breeze and quickly caused her to tumbled towards the ground.

She landed with a crash into the meadow. The meadow was a glorious expanse of grass and meadow flowers, grass rustling gently in the breeze. The small creature began crying frantically. Her twitching emerald coloured eyes soon darted to her left, towards the magnificent Mystic Sea, where three small ships were being constructed. A large ape, terrifying and growling, stood proudly at the top of a rock observing his minions construction.

"Put your backs into it!" he ordered, laughing at the same time. "For the glory of Malefor!"

The name put her cries to rest, Cynder forgot about the pain flowing through her. Pain was good, was what Gaul had told her. Pain is something she loved, Death was something she craved. And she couldn't wait to someday join Gaul in devastating this worthless garden. The Dark Master's corruption hadn't yet had it's full impact but soon it would and when it did, Gaul would say goodbye to the small little girl and see the arrival of an enormous, evil, terrifying beast.

"What's wrong Cynder?" asked a gentle, concerned larger black dragon.

Cynder wiped away her tears and gazed up at the black dragon. He gently wrapped his wings around her and soothed the crying dragoness.

"I'm gonna kill the air when I grow up!" vowed Cynder, the evil flowing through her.

"You can't kill the air, my little devil" laughed the adult black dragon. "Don't cry, I'll always protect you".

Cynder nodded slowly, sniffling.

"Make way, Captain Woodrow Reyes on deck!" called Gaul, as a human male stepped forward, followed by a younger tiger, standing beside him with a sword that's colour matched the sun.

"Lies!" shouted the human.

Cynder got slightly frightened by this raise in voice, turning around, hoping the black dragon would comfort her again but there was no one there.

"You did not, did not, serve us! It was you, Gaul, who aided Chaos and Malefor in attacking _Cynder_ and it was you who tricked!" the man yelled.

"Would you have spared us if we didn't, we have big and I do mean BIG things planned and we don't need no cursed human getting in our way!" laughed Gaul. "Where's the harm in joining the winning side, we exiled Eon; allied with Chaos and now all the Dragon eggs in the temple have been destroyed, safe for one, the one which is now being steadily corrupted with evil. And there is nothing you can do to stop us! We were always one step ahead of you".

"That is why I've found someone who is always six steps ahead of everyone" grinned Reyes deviously. as a massive shadow engulfed the surface.

Everyone turned to see a massive warship opening fire on the three smaller ape-made ships. It's ferocious firepower soon turned this heaven-like land into hell. Cynder's petrified eyes turned to see two footsteps marching down the bridge of this enormous structure. It's hand reaching for a powerful sword and tapping it onto the wooden surface of the deck.

"adiós" his chilling voice said, as his canons fired upon the land.

* * *

Cynder woke up with a scream. Another dream. This one was all too real and it felt so..so different. Like it was actually happening. Or it actually happened. She looked around her. She was in a strange rustic bedroom, laying on a fine bed made out of some of the best material in the Spanish empire. Of course the walls and floorboards matched the cursed, decaying atmosphere of the rest of the ship. Yet this room was slightly better than the deck she was on before. Her weak eyes looked at the sign above the door: **Captain quarters**

The last thing she remembered was being mercilessly beaten up until blood had literally filled her lungs. Now she felt nothing, not even a heartbeat. She was still on the _Silent Blade_. Looking at her body, Cynder soon realised that she was a lot different. She wasn't her usual ebony colour, in fact she was green. Pale green. Sickly green. Gently leaping down onto the wooden floorboards to see if anything would happen, she began moving her legs.

"I hear movement" said a voice in Spanish.

"She must be up" replied another in Spanish.

Abril entered the captain's quarters and looked at the small dragoness.

"I see you've noticed your colour change" she said. No response. "In order to prevent you from dying, we used a poison potion on you that will make you immune to all illness except for the poison itself which will come into effect in a 20 hours. Don't worry, your friend Spyro should have found your medicine before then. If not, you can all die the same. Now get some rest, you'll be weak for a while".

After about 45 minutes, a loud explosion rocked the boat and Cynder toppled off her bed, only to hear screaming upon doing so. She ran outside to see dragons and dead soldiers running frantically along the deck.

"CANNON FIRE!" screamed one.

"Engage all defences!" shouted another.

"What's going on?" asked Cynder, but no one could hear her small voice amongst the chaos. Cynder ran towards the bridge but stopped to look forward, ahead at the Mystic Sea.

There was another chilling vessel there. Not the _Forever Red_ but another one that matched the _Blade._ It had black sails, black floorboards, black attire and tatters in every part of the sail. It was shooting at them and was cloaked in the night sky.

"What's happening?!" she demanded, running onto the bridge, where Abril was trying to manoeuvre the ship. "That ship seems so familiar".

"It should, it't the _Silent Death_ , one of the ships in Salazar's Ninth fleet, it was there in the final battle" revealed Exedra.

"Exactly how many of our ships did you sink?!" said Abril, as the ship rocked once more.

"It's Eon, he knows we're coming and has sent his puppets to stop us" realised captain Reyes. "So you want me dead, old man, well come and get me!"

"Return fire! To your stations, get our dragons in the air now!" ordered Salazar, entering the bridge.

"Battle stations, return fire!" repeated Reyes.

"Lieutenant, our best hope is to club-haul them, out manoeuvre them by pointing all of our side canons directly at their helm" Salazar devised another cunning scheme. He looked at the massive, strong rocks in the sea beside them. "Throw our ropes against those rocks and then tilt the entire ship sideways".

"Sir that's madness!" protested Abril.

Another canonball smashed through the bridge.

"We lose the _Blade_ we have no way of reaching Eon" said Salazar.

"That triple canon, of your own design, will pose a problem" noticed Reyes.

"Send the dragons to destroy them" ordered the grand admiral, recalling how they performed the same act on him in his final hour of life.

In 20 minutes, all 16 of the dragons they sent were lying dead, sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

"Well so much for that idea" sighed Abril.

Excedra was the only one left and although his dark breath vanquished the small canons, the metal on the triple canon was too strong to even breach.

"Let me take it out!" urged Cynder, remembering the way she destroyed the _Blade's_ quadruple canon all those years ago.

"You are weak from the poison spell, there is no way you're going to be able to do that" argued Reyes.

"She destroyed my far superior canon did she not?" questioned Salazar.

"Back when she was fuelled with the Dark Master's evil, now as you can see, she is far below that level"

"Yes but...hey where'd she go?"

The two turned to see Cynder had already flown into the air, diving straight towards the _Death._ Exedra breathed dark fire onto the ship's bridge, scattering it's undead crew, before the triple canons began aiming for him. As they did, Cynder performed a magnificent dive, through the ship, scorching everything she went past, and as she flew past the dead crew a powerful gust of wind swept them all to the ground and even caused the mast to collapse.

She unleashed her fire onto the triple canon, penetrating it's defences.

"That's not possible" gasped Reyes.

"You're learning all sought of new things from your 'precious little devil', as I did long ago" said Salazar. "Now, club-haul them!"

The ship rocked sideways and positioned it's hundred guns at it's rival.

During this chaos, a smaller red dragon dived down towards the two warships, unable to determine which was which. He recognised the dragon slaves aboard the _Blade_ and swooped down, smashing through one of the windows at the bottom deck.

"That was some entrance" he wheezed, shaking his head. No guards were present as they were all manning the guns. He spied some multi-coloured paint and decided the best way to make sure no one recognised him was to disguise himself.

Exedra soon joined Cynder and used his dark fury ability to destroy the triple canon, before the two returned to the _Blade._

The _Silent Blade_ was now in range of the _Silent Death_ and unleashed all it's firepower onto it, once again sinking it.

* * *

Cynder's vision began getting clouded as she stayed on the deck of the _Blade._ She moved her long tail toward her face to rub them, and surprisingly felt no harm from her tail blade.

"That's the effects of the poison spell" explained Reyes. He stood next to her as she looked forward at the sinking ship. "Interesting tail-blade, I recognise it".

"It was given to me by a wicked creature, no better than you" dismissed Cynder.

"There was a matching collar too, if I remember" recalled Reyes.

Cynder moved her tail back.

"There was, given to me by the creepy Moneybone guy, who I've not seen. Is he dead, I heard his voice before?" asked Cynder, changing the subject.

"The admiral requests his presence, and I implore you to return to your chamber, that I have so generously given you" implored the captain.

Cynder sighed and looked to the stars, which formed a pattern. She so longed for that dream to return to her. The one where the adult black dragon, who's face seemed so fatherly to hug her with his wings.

"What are you thinking off?" wondered Reyes.

"Just...just, my parents, who you probably killed in your sick mission so there's no point in talking to you about it!" she snapped at him.

"You will watch your tongue, I am this ship's captain"

"No your not, you took credit from Apex's work, this ship is stolen property.

"And what makes you think we killed your parents?" asked Reyes.

"Because you're all sick, evil, violent, war-mongering, genocidal freaks who led a war against dragons so you could rule..." Cynder stopped listing, as her eyes welled with tears. She wasn't describing them. She was describing herself. She was no better than them, everything they had ever done, Cynder had done it only a hundred times worse.

"Why are you crying?" asked Reyes. "Because you think you've done as much harm as us?"

"I think, I am feeling sleepy" sobbed Cynder, silently returning to her room.

Reyes looked forward, taking off his captain's hat, at the Mystic Sea, where he first met Master Eon. He hated Gaul and his apes, which is why Salazar's short alliance with him angered the captain. Cynder was all the reason he had to hate that King to death.

* * *

As Cynder walked along the lower decks, she soon bumped into multi-coloured Flame.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Look, Cynder, I know you must hate me but- hey you're ok!" he began, before being relieved that she was fine. "But green?"

Cynder soon recognised him and got her claws ready. She wanted to drive them right through his heart as payback.

"I'm here to rescue you from this ship" he stated.

"Rescue me?!" You nearly killed me you son of a-

"I know! Salazar made me otherwise he would've killed Ember!" defended the fire dragon. "You have to do what I say to get out of here, I've been here long enough to know how to get off".

Cynder then smiled deviously. She would get off but there was no way she was gonna trust Flame, for all she knew he could be luring her into another trap. So this time she was going to do it to him and at the same time exact some bitter sweet revenge.

"I'm a bit tired, I would rather go to bed" she let out a fake yawn and smiled seductively at him.

"That's fake" he noticed, turning red a bit at her cute smile. He had to admit she was kinda pretty. "There's no time-

"I could use some company" she invited, stroking his leg with her tail. That was awfully tempting. And those enticing green eyes of hers definitely were attracting his attention and urging him to say yes. But wasn't she Spyro's girlfriend? Or maybe she wasn't and they really were just friends.

"Well, ok I guess, you do look weak, but a quick rest and that's it" he gave in to her looks and went along with her.

By the time Cynder was done with him, he would be wishing he never returned. But she would get off this ship one way or another.

 **I know I said I would be away but I made that previous chapter just so I could make it clear that I changed Spyro's dad's name. Anyway, the story will steadily return to both Cynder and Spyro sharing the lead role.**


	16. Chapter 16

**This chapter and the next are slightly more of an M- rated chapter. So be warned, mature content ahead. Also I hope you like the picture for the story I added, to serve as a thumbnail.**

Ember ran towards Spyro, embracing him in a hug. Tears poured from her eyes as she did so.

"Spyro I was so worried about you? First with Flame then with everything" she hugged him tightly.

"It's ok..Ember" he grasped for air, although seeing Ember again had kinda made him recall his younger days when Ember was obsessed with him. An uncomfortable thought.

Just then, she did something unexpected. The pink dragoness brushed her muzzle against his and kissed him. Spyro was speechless, all he could do was allow the distressed dragoness to continue. All those years under Salazar's domain had broken her and Spyro was all she needed to revert back to her fun-loving self.

"Spyro please don't hate Flame, he only did all that stuff because he was afraid I would die" she pleaded.

"Of...course I don't hate him" Spyro lied, he secretly did after what he did to Cynder.

Ember pulled him back into her kiss, when Tundra walked in.

"Am I interrupting something?" he regretted entering.

Both dragons turned red. They went out to see Apex who was waiting for them. But further on, in front of the ship was a massive Maelstrom and above was an even chaotic tornado. The waves grew so large that the vessel was dwarfed, riding up and down the mighty swelling sea like a child's toy. Inside the ship there was no staying still unless the person was anchored in place, for the "floor" was whatever surface gravity flung the sailors upon.

"Why have we stopped?!" asked Spyro, taking cover.

"This is it!" shouted Apex, pointing his sword up, revealing an area in the centre of the sky where the glistening moon could be seen.

"You have to fly up there to the Skies and meet with Eon!" he instructed. "He thinks we're out to kill him, he's sent his proxies to deal with Salazar. You're the only one who can do this, Spyro!"

Spyro once again felt like the fate of the world was placed on his shoulders.

"Should be nothing for you, your supposed to save the world right?" said Rae.

"Hurry before we all die!" ordered Asilas, struggling at the wheel.

"I'll be right behind you, Spyro" promised Tundra. The two took the skies and headed up to face this nightmare.

* * *

Is there any reason she was green? He was pretty sure the last time he saw her she was black. Then a dreadful thought hit Flame. Had he killed her and now she was now another member of Salazar's dead crew? Cynder couldn't explain what was happening to her. But she felt so, so evil. As if the power that had turned her into an adult had returned to her and she was allowing it to stay.

"Cynder are you sure your okay?" he asked.

Cynder jumped onto her bed and stretched out a bit. She had a couple of things in mind of how to get revenge on Flame for what he did and at the same time not to much, as she knew he was "trying" to "help" her. Cynder gave him a full view of her underside, making him turn red (well redder).

 _Wow_ thought Flame. He had never seen a dragon with a ruby coloured underbelly before. It suited her considering her eyes were the colour of emeralds. The red dragon couldn't help but to gaze at her. She had a sinister smirk on her face, as she knew what she would do.

"Is there any reason you chose a room with one bed, where am I supposed to go?" groaned Flame.

"You could share with me" insisted Cynder. "Aren't you tired from all that flying?"

"I guess, well the crew did always say how nice the captain's room is" the red dragon decided, leaping on the bed beside her.

He noticed Cynder still had those terrifying tattoos on her forehead, obviously thanks to Malefor's' corruption.

"I'm feeling kinda cold" the black dragon faked, nudging his wing slightly in order to get him to understand.

Flame slowly complied, lifting his red wing and wrapping it around her. It was the least he could do after hurting her so much. Cynder laid her sleepy head onto his golden coloured torso and then began the next part of her wicked plan.

"Flame, my neck feels itchy cause of the poison spell" she told him.

 _The spell! So that's why she wasn't in any harm and was green. But that means she would have only 24 hours-_

"Perhaps you could help me with that" she asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"What you want me to scratch it?" the confused dragon puzzled.

"No, use your teeth"

"Aren't you and Spyro...you know?"

"I like him as a friend, but unlike some people, he's more sensible. Do you want me to call the captain or can we please continue?"

Flame couldn't believe this. Was she actually wanting to mate with him? After everything he did? Maybe Salazar really did mess her up with this spell. But how could he refuse, she was so pretty up close. The red dragon gently sucked on her neck, enjoying the moment himself. Her tail crept towards his underbelly and fiddled with his lower regions, making Flame fully understand her, and he trusted into her and Cynder was purposely moaning loudly.

Now Cynder's plan fell into action. She began purposely letting out loud, fake moans in order to scare Flame into thinking he might be discovered. Flame quickly tried getting out of her, but Cynder's tail blade forced him to stay.

"Cynder are you mad?! We're to young for this...and be quiet you want me to get caught!?" he demanded.

"I'll stop if you stay inside of me" replied the crafty dragoness.

"No way you know what will happen!" he refused.

"Ah well" Cynder continued.

Flame soon heard footsteps and knew he had to think of something and quick. He moved his mouth towards her and kissed her, thus blocking her noises. Cynder, expecting this move, bit hardly down onto his tongue, making him bleed and even chipping a few teeth. Flame got of her with a loud scream, as he spat out blood.

"Oops did I do that?" she pretended. "Silly me".

Flame growled but then noticed the dry blood on her body from him.

"I guess I deserve that" he rolled his eyes.

Cynder quickly fell back on him, trapping the red dragon beneath him. Flame couldn't help it, now it was his turn. He looked over at her wet clit and couldn't help himself, he needed her; he desired her. Gently setting himself behind her, he inserted his long rod into her tight tailhole, gaining a moan from the black dragon.

"Please Flame...harder" pleaded Cynder, her temptations and ions unable to resist his charm. _What the hell are you doing, Cynder, snap out of it! Spyro is the one for you...oh no...S-Spyro...yes Flame right there, please go faster!_ With each hump, Cynder felt like she was in heaven, and as her wetness was exposed to Flame's claws, the evil of the poison Salazar put in her, forced her to make the ultimate betrayal... "I want you to cum in me".

* * *

Count. Moneybone walked past the captain's quarters and peered through the key hole after hearing these noises and quickly moved his shocked eyes.

He shockingly went towards Salazar, who was plotting on the map.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

"I have seen things" his shocked eyes didn't move. "I changed my mind, keep this ship, I want to go back to Apex! (I can't believe I just said that)"

"You're weird" said the grand admiral.

"Can I get off now?" he whimpered.

"Get away from me".

* * *

Just when Flame was about to release into her, Cynder purred and kicked him so far, that he fell and crashed into the captain's metal chests.

"Ow, I think I broke my tail!" he groaned.

"Sorry, your right, this is wrong, but I'm sweating like a pig so I think I need a wash" she got up and went into the barely functioning, filthy bathroom. Flame followed her in, determined to get her off this ship.

Cynder then pulled her next trap, laying into the tub, inviting Flame in. The red dragon fell for his instincts again and stretched himself over her.

"So Flame why did you come back?" asked Cynder, as Flame rubbed her ruby chest.

"To save you, I felt so bad after what I did" he answered.

Cynder pulled her tail up and wrapped it around his own, whilst nipping his neck.

"Why, you didn't care when you tried to kill me?"

"All these years Salazar lied to me, saying you killed my parents. Now I've realised it was actually him who did. Everything else I did, I did for Ember, she was held hostage by Salazar and he would always torture her so I had to" explained Flame.

Cynder felt a bit of empathy for him. She knew how it was like, being forced to fight for the wrong side. But she quickly shook it off, remembering her own plan to get off the ship. She returned to kissing him.

"So tell me, how do I get off this ship?" she asked, hoping to seduce him into giving in.

"Well...only the grand admiral can dismiss a crew member" he admitted. "I planned on freeing you through the same way I did, but I've now realised that only Salazar can actually allow a crew member to leave. But the captain is the one letting you stay, so he's gonna have to dismiss you".

"Why did he care so much about me? I heard his voice when I was dying, shouting for his aides to help me and hitting you" asked Cynder, moving her tail to grasp Flame's crotch and rubbed it rapidly.

"I don't know, I've been wondering that myself" he said.

Finally after about 20 minutes, Flame had managed to push back inside her and then suddenly, when Flame was about to release into her once again, Cynder did first, turning around and pushing Flame to the tub's surface.

"Ouch!" he groaned.

Cynder released herself all over him.

"Ew yuck!" he added.

The black dragoness then used her tail to position his own crotch at him and spray at himself.

"By the way I lied, I like Spyro much better than you" she smirked, leaving him stuck in his own mess.

"Your sick" insulted the red dragon.

"Like you said, I'm evil" she repeated his own words. "Welcome aboard the Silent Blade" she mimicked Salazar. She locked the bathroom door and then the cabin's door, knowing that only Reyes could open it and if he did, he would see this mess. She hated playing that role, although it was a bit of fun, but it was necessary after everything he had done.

* * *

"I can't do it!" panicked Spyro, losing control and being knocked over by the wind. He fell closer to the fatal spiral of the Maelstrom but Tundra quickly pulled him up. He too was losing control.

"Come on Spyro we need to try!" he urged.

Spyro once again thought about Cynder and Sparx, and the fate of the world if he died without stopping Malefor. This encouraged him and he soared into the sky, followed by Tundra.

Spyro and Tundra flew through the massive world wind in the sky, thrusting their wings forward as to not fall back to the down.

"Do you think we can make it?" asked Tundra, knowing of Spyro's fight with Cynder. "I mean your a purple dragon so I shouldn't worry, but you know, I might die".

"Follow me and we'll be fine" but Spyro's words were trailed off as a gust of wind sent him flying down towards the sea. Tundra zoomed back down to help him.

His head bobbed beneath the waves, Apex isn't worried, knowing his abilities. He's swan before, he isn't scared of a little water over his head. After only thirty seconds more, however, he begins to sink. Spyro tried kicking his legs, but they were tired and struggling to bring him back toward the surface. She can't hear the chilling music from a familiar organ making his scales get goosebumps all over.

"Salazar!" realised Asilas, hearing the frightening organ. "He's near and our deadline is nearly expired!"

"No, it's only 12:00!" argued Apex, checking his watch.

"Mine says 12:45" said Rae, showing him his own one.

Apex rattled his watch.

"Huh? Must be broken, are you sure because I-

"Apex, Spyro is drowning we must help him!" yelled Ember.

"Oh don't worry your pink little scales" he dismissed.

"WHAT?!" she screamed. "He's dying!"

"No, he's trying...to swim up" noticed the tiger. "If we don't let him, how will Eon think he's worthy?"

"Are you mad!?"

"What, scared of water?" he laughed.

Ember's petrified face looked forward, as Spyro magnificently darted out of the sea at sonic speed, and flew toward Tundra.

"Spyro?" he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"Hang on!" he ordered, grabbing him and shooting up into the opening where moonlight shone through and vanished.

"See what did I say?" Apex turned to Ember. "Once we get an audience with Eon, I just need to show him my sword and hopefully...he won't still hate me".

"Wait what?" repeated Asilas.

"You never mentioned that part" said Rae, crossing his arms.

"Yeah I did. I think I did. I probably did...back at the..er".

Tundra and Spyro looked around at the mist surrounding the realm they had entered. Were they in the clouds?

"HALT!" a loud voice boomed.


	17. Chapter 17

"So, Apex should be directly below the Skylands right now?" asked Moneybone, in Salazar's office.

"Yes, and we're heading towards him, I put a tracer on his ship, we know now were to go" answered Salazar. "All we need to do is get that damn medicine and then heal Cynder".

"Ah and you took me cause if Eon sees me, he won't comply with their demand" guessed Moneybone. Salazar nodded. "You really think of everything. Now anyway, enough kissing your dead bum, how much of your treasure will you give me?"

The imperial guards threw Moneybone in the prisons below deck.

"We'll split it 50/50, 25/100?" he begged. "I hate my life".

* * *

Ignitus looked at the purple lightning and the other chaotic, unusual weather events and soon noticed the tornado forming dead ahead, from the Mystic sea.

"My fellow Guardians, Zanaz Salazar is heading to kill Eon, we all know what will happen if he does so it will mean the end of the dragon race!" he delivered a speech to his four companions (five counting Sparx).

"Oh boy" grunted Sparx.

"To arms!" ordered Terrador.

"Be careful, young dragon, may the ancestors guide you" Ignitus silently prayed for Spyro. Sparx to shared this prayer.

The large dragons took to the air and headed towards the Mystic Sea, towards the dreaded warship.

* * *

Cynder, as she walked, was grabbed by a menacing paw. It was Exedra. He dragged her over to a corner where no other crewmen were and consulted her on her plan.

"Look, I'm going to get you off this ship, and I know how to" he whispered.

"I kinda figured it out already: get one of the captain's 'your fired' issues" she told him.

"It's not that simple, these papers are located in Salazar's office, where he plays his organ, I will forge his signature with my dark breath, you must get it" he explained.

"Sounds good...but what are they gonna do to you once they find out you helped me?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm cursed...what more can they do?" he laughed, darkly.

"You're son is amazing by the way, he saved the Realms by stopping me and he's the nicest person I know" she told him, hoping to reassure him that Spyro was fine.

"Spyro" Exedra smiled, feeling pride building up. "He's a good kid, with Ignitus protecting him, I'm sure he'll live up to the prophecy".

Cynder silently entered the dreadful room. She cautiously walked along the stone steps that accompanied the decaying door, her ankles being tickled by the tendrils of weeds that had arrived on the ship over time. The dark stone walls bathed in a stream of silver light that spilled through the clouded sky. From one window shone a glorious golden light, that looked like Sparx was inside. This light was different, like a lighthouse amber beacon of danger.

Salazar was locked in a meditation stance at the front of the room, by his organ, in front of the glazed, haunting windows. The dragon silently walked over to his desk and picked up the papers which spelt out "DISMISSAL".

Before leaving, her eyes were turned to a portrait. It was of a huge, proud, tall, black dragon with a beautiful adult black dragoness beside him. Below the pair was a shiny black and purple egg they were both admiring. Cynder felt some sort of unknown connection to it. The male was the same father like dragon that approached her in her dream. Why did Salazar have this? No, not him. It contained a engraved sentence "PROPERTY OF WOODROW REYES". Salazar grunted, waking up.

Cynder quickly flew out and locked the door. She let out a sigh of relief before heading to Exedra to forge the signature of Woodrow Reyes.

* * *

Flame quickly avoided Salazar's Imperial Guard and grabbed Cynder, pulling her into the captain's room again.

"Are you ok?" he asked. He seemed to have cleaned himself very well.

"Um...yeah" she puzzled, a bit shocked that he handled what she did to him well.

"Got the pink slip?"

"Yep. With some help"

Cynder rested on the bed. She realised that her attempted playtime with Flame caused a bit of her poison to slightly vanish. She looked at Flame's grief filled eyes and felt like she had perhaps done him some harm. Besides, she had to get this poison out of her, so she might as well make amends while she was here. Cynder couldn't explain what was happening to her. But she felt so, so evil. As if the power that had turned her into an adult had returned to her and she was allowing it to stay. All her red, evil eyes craved was his long shaft.

"Flame, maybe you'd like to come up here too" she offered.

"No, no once was enough" he politely replied.

"No I'm serious this time, maybe I can better understand you" she assured him.

Flame gently sat beside her and pulled some of the blanket over them both to keep Cynder warm.

"I can't imagine what it's been like, being _his_ servant" he said, avoiding the mention of Malefor's name to not make her uneasy.

"Bad. Especially now that I'm being told all the evil things I did, and my memory of them is slowly resurfacing" she explained, dropping her dreary head against his arm.

"Do you have any parents?" Flame asked.

"I'd like to think they died long ago, so I don't have to think I killed them" she admitted. Her evil was corrupting her again, and slowly her tail squirmed towards his regions.

"Don't beat yourself up over that, it wasn't your fault, it was Gaul and the Dark Master's".

"You were the one beating me up".

Flame sighed, not wanting to get into a topic she wasn't comfortable with.

"You talk a lot, isn't there something more you want to do with me?" she smirked playfully. Cynder moved slightly back and wrapped her tail around his crotch, rubbing it slowly, urging him to go forward.

"C-Cynder.."he moaned out her name, urging her to release him.

"Aren't we impatient" the wicked dragon refused, rubbing his shaft more rougher but refusing to allow him to release. Finally after 30 minutes of torture, she engulfed it's tip and relaxed as something thick and warm went down her throat. She then returned to her position, on top of him, directing his hands to her torso.

Flame complied, placing his arms on her ruby chest and rubbing it again.

"You really do like me there don't you?" giggled Cynder, a little ticklish.

"Sorry but I've never seen a dragon with a ruby underbelly" he defended, as her tail continued playing with his hardness. Soon Cynder felt something warm and sticky leak onto her back and tail and she only guessed it was from Flame. He went back to licking her chest and then placed his claws into her lower regions. "Whoa, calm down fire boy, don't shoot at me just yet, wait for the main event".

"Blame your own looks" he defended himself, returning to sucking on her chest. Flame removed his claws from her moist opening, and placed the dragoness beneath him, Cynder's eyes studying the huge thing that was hovering in front of her opening like a hungry beast.

"Just be glad the Terror of the Skies is allowing you to touch her. Flame" she suddenly stopped. "I'm a...you know...

"Oh...I'll go gently I promise" Flame understood, slowly entering into her from the front this time. This time Cynder moaned quietly to make him understand she was not tricking him anymore. However at some moments, Cynder just burst out screaming.

After 30 minutes, he released into her womb. The red dragon couldn't contain himself, he pounded her non-stop, continuing to shoot. Cynder had never done this before but she had never expected it to be this much. Her legs stiffened as she followed suite, and Flame wasn't stopping anytime soon. More and more hot liquid oozed into her womb, making her insides feel like fire, however it was too much for her to to take in, even though she wanted to milk every ounce of it. His liquid and her own began oozing down form her thighs and her tail found it's way into his behind; Flame inserted his tail into her behind, adding to it. Flame's pole located new pleasure spots inside Cynder's needy hole and erupted six loads into her wanting womb. Hitting her G-spot, he ejaculated a massive load, filling her womb as much as she possibly could want it. She urged him to continue, and screamed his name out with each trust. Time and time again, he pushed deeper into her, gaining a shriek from the dragoness. She was close to blacking out, she had released like 10 times in the last 7 minutes alone and Flame was still erupting into her with no indication of stopping, he even came into her for 8 minutes straight without a single pause.

"...Stop" she managed to say her evil rubbing off, as Flame pushed so hard she collapsed onto the blanket.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Cynder!" Flame quickly apologised, realising what he had just done.

"No worries, the effects of the poison spell makes me immune to suffering any side-effect from anything else" she assured him. "So don't worry, no mini-Flame will appear".

This was true but she didn't know that, she was just making an assumption But it was true, nothing would happen to Cynder due to the poison spell so both dragons had nothing to worry about. The young dragons dozed off, unaware that Flame was still buried deep into Cynder, so it was likely he filled her up a couple more times, and Cynder didn't have any objections, she simply buried her head into his wings and went to sleep. Cynder was now healed, completely, the poison had gone, although at a cost of her losing something else. That felt like torture, she didn't want to, yet she had to. But why did it feel so good?

* * *

The _Silent Blade_ was now directly entering the chaotic scene with the Maelstrom and the Tornado. It faced the _Red_ , circulating it around the water which was dragging them forward.

"Uh-oh" muttered Apex.

"You're time is up, Apex, as is your life!" declared Salazar. "I don't see Eon nor my medicine!"

He soon looked up at the rumbling skies and at the apocalyptic scene.

"Our time is now, Eon is here" he realised, a grin arriving on his face. "Our time is now! By the rule of the King, we will face Eon or die trying...again! For the Empire!"

The Spaniards erupted in cheers.

"Abril take us into the abyss and prepare for our final battle" instructed Salazar.

Woodrow pushed aside his men and looked frantically for Cynder. He soon spotted to young dragons towards the edge of the boat, preparing to fly.

"Do you trust me?" asked Flame.

"I trusted you enough to take my-

"Just don't tell Spyro, I'm trying to make up with him" begged the red dragon.

"Of course, I'll always have a soft spot for Spyro, I just needed you to cure me so don't think I like you" admitted Cynder.

Flame smirked. Her please for him to continue earlier didn't sound like it.

"No!" shouted Reyes.

"Quickly!" Flame soared forward, leaving the ship.

"No Cynder, I beg you don't go back to Eon!" pleaded Reyes.

"What do you mean 'go back'?" she questioned.

Reyes walked forward, when Exedra attacked him.

"What is the meaning of this? Treason!" he shrieked.

"Quickly Cynder go!" ordered Exedra. "I'll be fine, now go!"

"Extinction to all traitors!" yelled Reyes, shooting at Exedra with his gun.

"Hurry!" shouted Flame.

Cynder reluctantly complied, flying off the ship and followed Flame up into the tornado.

"GO!" ordered Exedra, as blood dripped from his body.

"NO!" screamed Reyes, as his Imperial Guards rushed to his assist.

"You fool!" scolded Salazar. "All hands, battle stations!"

"Get the canons ready!" ordered Asilas.

"This is all my fault" said Rae.

"Oh that's good, I thought I would have to blame myself for a minute there to avoid feeling guilty but ok since you did it first" smiled Apex, showing he wasn't scared of Zanaz Salazar.

"No I meant it's my fault for me dying, I should never have followed a luckless tiger to sea" Rae informed him.

"If I die, I die on my _Blade_ " vowed Apex, taking out his golden sword.

Salazar took out his Titanium sword and faced it towards him.

"Our time is nigh, Eon's death sentence has been declared" he proclaimed.

"All hands WE SHOW NO QUARTER!" ordered Reyes. "Eon has taken Cynder from me once again, he will pay dearly and I will make sure today he dies".

Suddenly everything turned a golden colour. The centre of the Tornado was dragging them in, blessing them with the colours of heaven in this hellish scene.

"It's Eon!" realised Salazar.

"Spyro?" Apex peered closer.

"It can't be" gasped Ember.

* * *

 _All players have been summoned to their final stage, the battle started generations ago with the black dragon's curse, turning him into the dreaded captain that controls the Silent Blade. All our hopes lay in you, Spyro, but do not lose focus, if Reyes kills Eon, we're all doomed_

 _-_ Chronicler.

 **This is kinda like the midway point of the story, where it ends on of a cliffhanger. Kinda like a Mid-season finale in a TV show. By the way, Cynder does not get pregnant from Flame, she is still infected with the poison spell so she's immune to getting or catching anything else accept for the spells the poison made her evil that's why she cheated on Spyro like that.**


	18. Dynasty of Evil

**I know a lot of people aren't happy with the previous chapters but remember this is strongly influenced by Pirates of the Caribbean and similar to how Elizabeth fell in love with Jack for a while instead of Will in Dead Man's Chest, Cynder went a bit towards Flame (although she and Spyro aren't currently in a relationship yet). But, rest-assured, I'm sure those who hated the previous chapters will be pleased with this one. Also, my original plan was for Cynder's anger towards Flame to turn her into evil as that was Salazar's true intention when using the spell, so that's another reason she was behaving so evil in the previous titles. Also this chapter has some Skylanders influence.**

 _Spyro awoke to find himself in an infernal void of darkness, similar to the one that always appeared in his dreams. Except this time he was all alone. No, wait the old wizard was there again, sitting calmly on a comfy chair next to a fireplace with a rug beneath it._

 _"Come Spyro, come, sit down and relax" urged the man, nicely._

 _Spyro went over to the fireplace and sat directly in front of it, curling up onto the rug._

 _"You have come to meet me" he said, as if reading his thoughts._

 _"So your Eon?" assumed Spyro. "Everyone has been saying how evil you are and you did all these terrible things...but the biggest thing I've found was that you lied about my father"._

 _Eon sighed deeply. "I lied because I knew Salazar would use him to blackmail you, so I thought it best to keep him a secret"._

 _"Your lying" Spyro slightly raised his voice, seeing the nervousness in his eyes._

 _"Ignitus has taught you well" sighed Eon. "Perhaps it's time we met face to face, I fear I do not have much time, the Spanish are at my doorstep"._

 _"Wait where's my friends!?" demanded the purple dragon._

 _"I have bought you all here, but be warned Spyro you might hear somethings better left unheard that will mess up your judgement- do not let it, or risk becoming like the Fallen One"._

* * *

Apex woke to see him in he centre of a large, beautiful palace surrounded by a long table with a row of food on it. He looked around, wondering what happened remained puzzled, until he spotted a large cake on the table. He looked around before heading towards it and taking a large piece from it and shoving it in his mouth. Just then the palace doors opened and a wise, tall, elderly man holding a long wooden staff with 10 Skylander guards entered. The man sat down.

"Apex Z" he began. "I have heard things about you, and of course you know who I am?"

"Master Eon...me old best mate" Apex nervously chuckled.

"We have not forgotten what you did to me" stated the master.

"Aw c'mon your like 99, get over it" said the tiger.

"Well you just ate my Birthday cake".

"Oh" snickered Apex. "Happy birthday, then".

"I have to say your quest to retake your ship is quite impressive and his intrigued me" revealed the old wizard. "I have done so much evil in my life and am unable to make up for it. But today of all days...did they...send you...here to kill me? His pale face grieved. "There isn't much of me left".

"Nah, that's what Salazar wants to do, I just want some medicine to cure Cynder and then we'll take about you know what".

"It's a trap isn't it" Eon madly chuckled. "The potion...Spyro...all of it! It's a trap! Ha,ha,ha,ha. I will use you as ransom to save Spyro's life. He is needed!"

"Um, I'm not longer in league with the Royal Navy" Apex tried explaining.

"No,no,no,no,no you will stay here!" Eon appeared to be going mad with each yells.

Apex moved towards the end of the room, where he placed a chair next to the window, and then picked up a few cherries, munching them down. Realising he wasn't gonna believe him unless he had either Spyro or Cynder, Apex knew he had to escape.

"I can't stay here in this stinky old palace, you see I need to make sure the two little beasts are ok? You see, I can't help but to (and this is big for me) feel sorry for their really, really, really, really, reaaallly bad lives" admitted the tiger. "Their like two little...Broken Souls".

"I will deal with it" the wise man stroked his long, glistening beard. "But you will remain here, Salazar won't be able to get past my defences".

"Sorry, mate, your wrong about that"

"How do you know?"

"Well one: all your proxies happen to be the ships under Salazar's command that Cynder sunk and second... Apex gestured out the window. Eon glared outside and saw one of Salazar's ships _Extinction_ exploding with tremendous firepower as the _Silent Blade_ led furiously by Reyes smashed through the inferior ship.

"The palace has a shield around it!" said Eon, as the Silent's hundred guns opened fire at it.

"Salazar's no fool" Apex said with a mouth full. "He's got something planned. but I'm gonna be the one who takes it".

"I'm sorry Apex, I can't let you do that" threatened Eon.

"I understand, mate, accept...your really need to trim that beard" retorted Apex. The tiger used his tail to trip the two guards behind him and then whacked their guns out of their hands. They moved to shoot but Apex grabbed their arms and directed the blast upwards, causing the chandelier to fall. Apex ran towards the window, making it look like he was going to escape through there. The other guard took out his sword and ran towards him in a bid to stop him, but Apex moved out the way making the guard fall out the window. He then grabbed hold of the curtain string and pulled himself up.

"Ahhhhh!" he screamed, as he spun around in circles in the air. He swung down, took the rest of Eon's cake, flew up and landed in the balcony above. "Ta".

"No, we need him!" stuttered the guard.

"Don't follow him" ordered Eon. "This is part of his plan. He needs me, he'll be back, he just wants to make certain Spyro is out of harms way. As do I, so I will attend to him".

* * *

Flame woke up to see nothing but mist surrounding him. Beside him was Cynder, who looked quite hurt.

"Cynder are you ok?" asked Flame, worried that he maybe had done something to her when they were in the heat. "Are you certain I didn't make you-

"I'm fine, I told you the spell makes sure nothing effects me, until it's expiration deadline finishes- in 16 hours- I'll be immune from all that stuff" she assured him, revealing her bruised tail. "Here's the problem. Also what's wrong with you?"

"Oh right you told me to tell anyone?"

"Huh, yuck, no way would I ever go out with you. Spyro is the only one who I would consider that close" groaned Cynder out of disgust.

"'Harder Flame! Don't stop!' Yeah you definitely didn't" he mimicked her screams.

Cynder growled. "I didn't say that". She whacked him over the head with her tail-blade. "I didn't say that. What the hell is wrong with you, you sicko?"

"Yeah you did" he puzzled. Did she have short-term memory loss? "Remember, your tattoos were glowing so was your tail".

She didn't remember that. _Glowing?_

"Wait what?" said a familiar voice. It was Spyro and behind him was Ember, safe. "You did what?"

"Spyro, I'm so glad you ok-

"I can't believe it, I came all this way to save you to find out you were going with..with him..that" growled Spyro. Sure, he and Cynder weren't in a relationship or anything but he always had an unexplained feeling for her and now he had felt so betrayed.

"Spyro, I had no choice that poison was gonna kill me" now she began remembering what had happened. But it felt as if that wasn't her doing it.

"Yeah that's true" added Flame, before Spyro's sharp glare shut him up.

"I thought you had changed, Cynder, but now I see that I should've listened to Sparx, your just a...a...bitch" Spyro couldn't actually believe he had sworn for the first time, but Cynder deserved it. She didn't deserve any sympathy from anyone. "I could be out saving my father, but no I came all this way for a pathetic servant of the Dark Master. You deserve to join Salazar, he was right about you".

Cynder couldn't believe what Spyro was saying. He was the sole person in the world who she felt comfortable with, the only one who understood her, the only one who comforted her and now he was saying...the truth. Cynder knew it. Her memories were coming back to her, she knew what she had done and she felt like dying just thinking about it. Even her tears weren't for herself, they were for the pain she just caused Spyro.

She felt like running off, but it was Spyro who did so first. The upset purple dragon took the skies and left, followed by Flame and Ember, who were desperate to keep him out of Salazar's radar.

Spyro forced his way into the palace, leaving Flame and Ember behind. He didn't want to be with anyone anymore. Everyone were liars. He couldn't trust anyone, everyone had turned against him, he was alone just like Malefor was when he became evil. Spyro set fire to the two guards preventing him from entering, he wanted to see this Eon, who had done so much evil.

Eon was in his spell room, looking through his potions, when Spyro burst in.

"You!" he yelled at him.

"Ah, the legendary purple dragon, I've been hoping my eyes could one day see this sight again" his face beamed, but then turned to a frown. "But already you are becoming so much like your predecessor".

"I tried being nice, I tried being what everyone wanted me to be but the fact is I can't trust these you anymore- no matter how much you guided me to get my powers back- so no more I want the truth!" he demanded. ( **May want to revisit Chapter 3 and 4 in case you forgot).**

"Spyro, you are angry that your father is stranded on the _Silent Blade_ " said Eon. "Spyro, I can help you".

"How?"

"I can help you become the legenda

"Enough!" he roared. "Tell me what happened to my father, tell me everything about me".

Eon sighed deeply.

 _It was 20 years ago, when I met a young, handsome black dragon and I instructed him to guide all dragons on Earth to here, a land I created for them to live freely. But he failed in his task, he was unable to save one dragon, the one who he loved and she died. I turned him human in order for him to carry out his mission while blending in on Earth, and he became a magnificent sailor as he was a flyer. I was unable to lift this curse as he didn't complete the task, I tried everything but he blamed me for the death of his mate. I could never have predicted what came next..._

 _They came in their thousands, the Ape army led by the cursed human laid waste to everything, your family was the last thing protecting the temple, but the man was smarter. Your family was tasked with protecting the Core of Light, something that he wanted to destroy, to kill everyone. He called upon Nitrix Slazar, the Entity of Death and used his power to turn them all evil, including your parents. So I was forced to...protect us all by sending them to another realm. But the magic was devastating, I don't know where they are or if they're still alive. Your father seemed to have survived..._

"But he's broken; forced to serve Salazar!" protested Spyro.

"S-Spyro, I'm so sorry-

"SORRY? You're the whole reason my life is messed up and all you say is sorry?" screamed Spyro. Letting his anger get the better of him, Spyro shot electricity at him, making the wizard tumbled of his cliff into darkness. "Eon!"

* * *

Cynder sobbed to herself. Spyro was right, she was the b word.

"Lies; Betrayal; Legacy" listed an elderly voice. It was Eon.

"I-I can't believe I did that to him" she cried. "He gave me everything and I-I just...

"The legacy part, I'm sorry Cynder but you allowed yourself to become evil" said Eon. "Salazar needs Reyes' support so he used a spell on you, to turn you evil, so that you could show your true colours and eventually Reyes would move away from you. You allowed yourself to fall into that trap, that is why you couldn't resist Flame".

"I know, I'm so selfish!" she continued. "I know why I gave in to the poison, because of my hatred for Flame and Salazar, I turned back into a monster. Spyro doesn't deserve that. I-If there's anything that can be done to fix it...

"Would you do it?" asked Eon. "What would you do? How important is this Spyro to you, would you risk travelling to hell and back just to fix his Broken Soul?"

"Yes" Cynder quietly admitted.

"Well, my staff can fix minor events but at a cost" he revealed, pointing to his wooden staff. "I can undo the sinful act that you did, but it depends on your situation before.

Cynder thought about it. If she didn't mate with Flame, the poison would have stayed in her, and she would most likely die soon, but not be either living nor dead, forced to stay in the Cursed Realms with Salazar and his undead armies. But who deserved freedom more: her or Spyro?

"I don't care" she stated. "Everything I've ever done has caused nothing but pain to everyone, I deserve to be punished for that, Spyro was just trying to find his home, he saved me now is my turn to save him. I deserve to spend an eternity on the _Blade_ at least Malefor won't get to me then, and won't use me to kill Spyro".

"There is no freedom on the _Silent Blade_ ".

"Freedom's not a word to me".

Eon sighed deeply, remembering the same words Captain Reyes uttered to him 16 years ago...

"Welcome back aboard the _Silent Blade_ Cynder, this time try and stay" laughed the chilling Spaniard.

Cynder opened her eyes, wondering if Eon undid the evil she did. She looked at herself and saw the poison was still flowing through her and she was pale green once more. It worked!

"Listen, I'm back, now you don't need Spyro, let him go!" demanded the black dragoness.

"How dare you tell me what to do...I don't take orders from a beast" refused the grand admiral, putting his hands forward, in a strange position. "You will now spend an eternity on this ship, and the share the fate you imposed upon me".

"Your an evil man that's your own fault, just like what I am. And you know what they say: Dead men tell no tales".

"BECAUSE OF YOU!" Salazar's rage got the best of him and his hands unleashed powerful purple lightning at Cynder. She collapsed onto the surface, feeling the lightning flowing through her, tearing her apart. "Being dead has granted me some new...intricacies, as Apex calls them". He continued torturing her and as she screamed, Cynder felt like she deserved it after everything she had done. Salazar turned up his power, making blood appear all around her. "The poison will prevent you from dying but it won't stop the pain". He grabbed her and hurled her against the mast, unleashing more of his dreaded lightning at the poor dragon. "Soon you will know what it's like to be cursed, to feel nothing, to live yet with a meaningless life".

Cynder fought to get up but Salazar used his heavy foot to smash her head back down.

"You see I used that potion because I know it's true effects, that it will curse you to be part of this ship, so you won't leave, so I can complete the ritual" cackled the ghost. "Lieutenant, watch over her and make sure she doesn't escape".

He stood at the edge of his ship, and observed the hundred cannons halting their fire on the shield. _The shields are weakened, now we must act._

"VAMOS!" he yelled, jumping down onto the sea and running amongst the crashing waves. A hundred Spaniards followed him.

"I forgot they could do that" said Asilas looking forward at the sea in front of the palace.

"Hm, well we're dead" Rae cynically added.

Two gunshots from a mountain rained down on the Spaniards. It was Apex Z.

"Hold on there Grand Admiral!" he called. "It's a lovely night to die, innit!"

Salazar's Imperial Guard ran after him.

* * *

Spyro frantically searched for Eon. Flame and Ember entered the room.

"What happened?" asked Flame.

"I don't know, I don't remember a thing?" said Spyro. "Where's Cynder?"

Suddenly, a tremendous amount of strange lightning hit them all, throwing them into the next room. Reyes walked towards them, angry. He grabbed Flame and choked him.

"Where is she?!" he roared. "I saw you leave with her! Where is she?"

"I- I can't remember" he gasped. Reyes hurled him to the ground.

"Hey, leave him alone!" roared Ember, but Reyes zapped her again. "You should have died long before" He finally pointed is sword towards Spyro. "You were supposed to protect her! The world will not miss this species".

"Let him go!" yelled a voice. Reyes threw Spyro onto the floor and turned to see Eon.

"You!" he bellowed. "16 years you cower in fear and now finally your shackles return".

"If you gonna kill anyone, kill me, I am the one who did this to you" Eon pleaded.

"20 years, I did your bidding, forced to take this human body as my own" he began, walking towards him. "20 years, and finally when I could be with her, she was dead. Why was she dead?"

"I had no choice, the prophecies foretold she would give birth to a creature of darkness so-

"So you lied to me, forced me to do your bidding?" hissed Reyes. "You don't even know any of their names, of the ones you killed".

"Xandar, Zestria, Snow, Phoenix...and Exedra" listed Eon. "I know what I have done, and now I will correct my mistake. I can help you be free".

"My freedom was forfeit long ago" Reyes declared charging towards him with his sword.


	19. Dynasty of destruction

**A lot of people are confused about what Eon did so I'll just sum it up: he undid Cynder's sex with Flame, so although Flame still rescued her they didn't mate in the process, Cynder still remembers it but no one else does. As you can probably tell, there's a lot of Kung Fu Panda influence with the middle section.**

Eon dodged his blows with his wooden staff, it's strength reflecting the strikes of the enraged captain. As he clashed against it once more, Reyes began pushing Eon down, gritting his teeth at his old mentor.

"Go Spyro run!" ordered Eon.

"But I can't leave you here!" refused the purple dragon.

"If anyone one of us deserves to live it's you" urged the wizard, wheezing in between his talks, as he tried regaining his advantage. "You still have time to stop the ritual; if he you free Cynder he won't be able to open the portal!"

Flame quickly grabbed Spyro.

"Let go of me!" he screamed.

Flame resisted his struggles. "Spyro, there's nothing we can do to help, but we can free Cynder". Spyro stopped struggling and shared Ember's saddened eyes. He agreed and left with the others.

* * *

On the _Silent Blade,_ the canons finally returned to raining hellfire onto the palace, destroying it's columns, killing everyone who moved, destroying the utopia- like jungles, and blenching the skies with canon balls, as Salazar penetrated the shield finally.

Cynder lay there on the wooden floorboards helplessly, she still remembered the way she begged Flame to release in her, and it filled her with more grief. Her thoughts, which she thought were her last, were about Spyro and how he set her free from her curse, hopefully she had now returned the favour. Maybe he would be better of with Ember than with her. Maybe-

"We're under attack!" screamed one trooper, as fire and ice rained down on there heads.

The very earth began moving and turning against them.

"Does death come from above or below?" panicked one Spaniard.

"Death is death; our attackers are on wings" replied another.

"You idiots we're all dead" groaned Abril, looking up.

There, four magnificent, elemental dragon's, led by Ignitus were flying low attacking the monstrous ship.

Exedra, in his cell awaiting execution (Salazar thought it would be more fitting of a punishment if he bought his son to him and killed him before his eyes, than to kill him straight off), heard the all to familiar voice of his old master, Ignitus, and knew that now he had to escape.

Bursting open his wings, he readied himself. He noticed the Spanish taking out their guns and aiming at the sky, and used his Dark push ability to send them closer towards his cell. Cyril breathed ice down on them, which froze them and also the cell door, allowing Exedra to burst open the door and fly out.

"Is that who I think it is?" gasped Volteer.

"It can't be...Exedra" gasped Ignitus, hearing his fallen apprentices terrifying roar.

Sparx sneakily flew down to Cynder, who was chained up against the mast. The Spanish barely noticed him as they rushed for their artillery.

"Hey, miss. Cryababy" he taunted. "How'd you get all locked up. Get it? Yeah that was terrible".

"Just untie me" groaned the black dragon.

Sparx flew inside the lock and tricked it, freeing her.

Salazar pushed Rae to the ground and then attacked him, but Rae shot his gun at him, which did nothing because he had already been killed.

"Oh right" he remembered.

"There is only room for one grand admiral" declared the Spaniard.

"Yeah but your Spanish, I'm Prussian, two different things" said Rae.

"Prussian? Prussia is a state in the Holy Roman Empire, not a country" puzzled Salazar.

"You've been dead for to long. Oh, and it looks like that 'one' may just be me" Rae pointed to the dragons attacking his ship.

"Ah, the Guardians return at last, time to show them what war they entered" grinned the admiral, hurling his titanium sword into the air.

Suddenly, six more terrifying warships, long thought destroyed, sailed by the _Blade,_ long living in Eon's grave of ship's, now bestowed light once again. The ships: _Judicator, Silent Fury, Extinction, Supremacy, Devastator_ and the most powerful _Nihilius_ entered into the battle, each unleashing their canon fire onto the dragons.

"Unleash out dragon slaves to deal with these pests!" ordered Abril. The remainder of their dragons took to the skies and battled the Guardians.

* * *

Eon retreated to his temple, and awaited Reyes to follow him. In a flash of lightning, he sure enough did.

"You dragged me away from that purple pest eh?" he realised, darkness cloaking his body from the sky.

"This battle is between us, not Spyro" declared Eon, readying himself.

"Suit yourself" snorted Reyes, shooting lightning at him, forcing him back into the temple. "20 years I remained in this body, all because of your error".

"My magic was too strong, I had no idea-

"-No idea!? You knew what you were doing. You knew that I was the best captain and flyer the lands had ever seen and you couldn't take it that I wasn't a purple dragon like your beloved Spyro. So you did this!" bellowed the captain, kicking the wizard back.

The old man used his magic to throw him against the golden columns, but Reyes lightning deflected any further blasts. Eon ran forward, slashing his shoulder with his sabre, causing green blood to soak his floor's. Woodrow upper-cutted him before slashing his sword against his staff once more.

Eon slashed his sword against his, duelling him on the palace's crystal floors. After intense fighting, an incoming shot from Exedra's Wind Gust, sent the two and the pavement they were standing on into the air. Reyes continued, grabbing Eon and striking him, cutting a bit of his beard of. The man resisted, using his skills to out manoeuvre him and thrust him into the air. With a scream, Woodrow jumped down onto the platform, crushing it and sending the two hurling back down. Eon stopped himself, using his staffs ability. Reyes, being cursed, was unaffected by the fall, but Eon still tried using his staff to save him, regardless.

The captain leapt forward, furiously striking him back.

"Everything I did was all because of you! It was you who killed Nova and it was you who denied me my destiny!" thundered Reyes, his voice matching the fury of the weather. Eon was too old and weak to continue matching his skills, and his body was giving up. "So tell me how proud you are now!" With his lightning powering his metal sabre, Woodrow slashed Eon's staff in half, destroying it and sending the old man hurling against the edge of the temple.

"I...always was" he croaked out. "I..was a fool. I...tried to help but I only caused death. I never knew that the magic...would kill Nova..I'm...I-I'm s-s-sorry".

Woodrow for a minute felt empathetic and understanding but quickly shook it off and choked him.

"I don't want your apology, I want that purple menace!" he growled.

"He..lied to you..as you did to him..." wheezed Eon. "He needs Cynder...not Spyro".

"You're lying!" bellowed Reyes. "The grand admiral would never betray me!"

"So why is his armada outside if Spyro has escaped, why would he need Spyro when it was Cynder who destroy the _Silent Blade,_ and it was her who banished him to the land of the Dead, that's why he needs her" choked Eon.

"What?!" he screamed, refusing to believe it.

"Hey!" a voice called, as a furious lightning flame surged past the captain. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

It was Spyro, standing proudly in front of the palace. Reyes burst out laughing. _Why is Spyro here and not with Salazar, doesn't he need him?_

"You? This?" he turned to Eon. "This is your greatest hope. Ha, this is going to save the world!? And who here is my size, you shrimp?"

"Well I wouldn't say, I'm exactly your size but er still pretty close" Apex revealed himself. "So if you want this Spyro, you're gonna have to get by me-

Woodrow leapt at him, sending him flying into the sky, as he still grabbed hold of him.

"Apex!" cried Spyro, flying after him. Previously being a dragon, Reyes was able to jump at magnificent speed and height.

They landed atop a large mountain, overlooking the battle. Apex slashed against Reyes with his golden sword, sending him back with strong force, as Spyro arrived and shot at him, together they defeated the captain.

"Excellent news, Capitan, the armada is complete, you must be very proud" Salazar walked up the stairs and got to the top of the ancient memorial.

"As proud as I can be, Grand Admiral" replied Reyes, thinking about what Eon said. He turned to Spyro. "So what is that you plan on doing with him?"

"As I told you, free Nitrix and kill Malefor-

"So you've said" interrupted the captain. "But why was he not with you, if you need him so badly?"

Salazar didn't respond for a few seconds. "I wanted his father to see his death so he knows the price of treachery" he lied.

"I get the impression you are lying to me" he saw through his lies. "Don't forget my ship is the one you need, you would do well but to keep me in your good books".

Salazar snorted. "Do I need it? I have a fleet of ships, now and _Nihilius_ is a HUNDRED times better than any _Silent Blade!"_

"Is not" muttered Apex.

"Now by the rule of the King, I sentence you to death!" declared Salazar, pointing his sword, ready to kill Apex.

"NO!" yelled Spyro.

"You're king, not his" the tiger revealed. Salazar stopped. "Who was it grand admiral who joined your crew, exactly 15 years after the death of the legendary Black dragon, kinda funny how he accessed the Cursed Realm by himself, just like the dragon, knew Eon, knew the way there and back, knew Spyro and...it is funny how Gaul knows him?"

"Tell me it's not true" wheezed Salazar.

"I built this ship for him I would know" said Apex.

"Tell me!" ordered Salazar.

"Not until you tell me why you need this dragon! Or is it that you don't?!" Reyes raised his own voice.

"He needs Cynder" revealed Spyro. "I know now...he needs Cynder because she killed him so only she can open the cursed realms" said Spyro.

"You didn't open it" Salazar turned to Reyes.

"Where do you think Exedra came from and the other non-Spaniards?" beckoned the tiger.

"I can't believe it! All this time, all this time, it was not one of you...but my own bloody captain, the one who I entrusted with my plans...you were the one!?" roared Salazar, his rage destroying the memorial. "You're the cursed dragon? Now it all makes sense! You bought these filthy beasts into my world!? I thought you just owned the dragons, not one yourself!"

"Not everything. So I will ask you again:who is it that you need?"demanded Woodrow. "I admit it. I am the black dragon, cursed to be a human by decree of that old fool Eon, and I care not about your plans only for the death of Eon and the destruction of the Light Core".

"Well...Reyes if that's even your name...I still have one leverage left" recalled Salazar. "Your precious Cynder on my ship".

"Can I tell her then?" asked Apex.

"Shut up" hissed Salazar

"No chance, an amazing young girl like that will never believe that" dismissed Reyes.

"You mean a killer".

Reyes pointed his sword towards him, Salazar in turn took out his titanium sabre.

"Your ritual is over, sir" he declared.

"No beast lectures me!"

Apex got up. "I knew you would warm up to me eventually".

Reyes pointed his sabre at him as well, and the three were locked in a battle stance with each other. Spyro was clueless on what to do.

"Cynder is mine, I kill her, I get my life back" vowed the Spaniard.

"Her life is her own, and I refuse to be any part of it" returned Reyes.

"Right then" Apex glanced. "So I can have her then?"

"NO!" the other two yelled

Reyes lunged at him, but he dodged it and his blade clashed against Salazar's. The three began battling as Spyro watched.


	20. The end of it all

Apex ducked as Salazar's blade clashed against his former captain's. The tiger soon noticed an object attached to the admiral's belt: the summoner which is crucial for the ritual to take place. He grabbed it and drunkenly ran amongst the jungle with the object in his hand. Reyes followed but Salazar grabbed him and hurled him to the floor, giving chase to Apex himself.

Spyro tried to intervene but he decided it was best to leave the three to fight amongst themselves and locate Ignitus instead and his father instead.

"Hey big purple butt" called a familiar, teasing voice. Sparx!

"Sparx!" cheered Spyro, hugging his foster-brother with the tip of his purple snout. "I'm so glad to see you".

"Wow, you're nostrils are huuuuuge" he commented. "Anyways, just a little recap on today's news: four huge dragons and one terrifying grim reaper rip-off is fighting in the skies, while an army of dead guys who talk weirdly are running on the sea, while a red version of you is dying".

"That 'grim reaper' is my father. My _real_ father" exclaimed Spyro, laughing slightly.

"Really!?" cried Sparx. "Urgh, you're mother obviously got the looks of the family. I can't see the resemblance".

"Wait Sparx, did you say Flame was dying?" repeated Spyro.

"Huh...yeah, he was trying to save that creepy obsessive chick, you know the one that was obsessed with you".

"Quickly, we got to help them!"

Apex ran towards an ancient cemetery, where Eon had respectfully laid out graves of the fallen. The tiger sprinted into the old temple, next to a huge old water mill. The peaceful scenery was disrupted by the fighting. Apex dodged Salazar's blows and ran up the stairs of the old Skylands library, throwing books down onto the dead. Reyes finally re-entered, entering the old library. By this time, Salazar had reached the top, but dodging his blows, Apex grabbed hold of the rope which hit the bell above them, causing it to ring. Apex was flung up and down as the rope continued being hit. Reyes ran up the stairs and continued his duel with his former ally, while Apex soundly watched.

Soon, Reyes accidentally cut the rope with his sword, sending Apex flying down and crashing onto the surface.

"My money's on the Spanish guy" he said, running off with the token.

* * *

Flame created a ring of fire around himself and Ember as the two tried to fend of the hoards of dead that approached them.

"You think that'll stop me?" gloated one Spaniard. "I will kill you and your entire family".

"My families been dead for 12 years" Flame pointed out.

"You think that'll stop me?" the Spaniard repeated. Suddenly, ice cold breath froze him along with three others. It was Tundra.

The ice dragon flew down to assist the pair. Ember shot her own fire breath and the approaching Spanish, melting their swords.

Count. Moneybone, sneakily tried to get off the ship but Abril grabbed him.

"Heh...I was just about to make a suggestion" he lied. "Why not send those red-robed maniacs out?"

"That's not a bad idea, Count. Freakbone".

"It's Moneybone".

"Unleash the Royal guard".

Thirteen, red robed, sabre wielding, Imperial Royal Guards leapt down from the ship and ran at magnificent speed into battle.

The dragon slaves battled against the Guardians, as they struggled to fight their own kind.

"I am beginning to doubt the flawlessness of this strategy, and I must be quite frank- this is impossible!" said Volteer.

"Cyril fly to the temple and make sure Master Eon is safe, Terrador locate Spyro and Cynder, me and Volteer will handle these dragons" ordered Ignitus.

Suddenly, a furious gust of wind pushed aside two dragons, and hurled another into the sea below. Exedra roared, as his dark breath killed another dragon.

"This is exactly why we exiled him last time!" complained the green dragon.

"A failed apprentice is the result of a bad master" Exedra scolded Ignitus.

"You're son is in danger, I know your nothing but an evil wretch but are you really going to stand idly by as your son dies?" he questioned.

"Ignitus, Spyro is in trouble!" screamed Terrador.

He looked forward to see Spyro defending his friends from the Imperial Guard. They were too fast, their superior skills, ninja-like tactics was to much; the elite of the Spanish army. Flame tried to assist his comrade but his wings were shot at by the guards. Ember tried to help him, but another impaled her elbow with his sword.

"Spyro!" cried Exedra.

He flew forward, his eyes turning a lightning colour. Another Royal guard shot Spyro's tail, causing him to collapse to the ground in pain.

"Spyro, come on get up bud" urged Sparx.

Exedra zoomed through the 1st division of the army, using his power to destroy them all in one blow, before unleashing his dark powers onto the Imperial Guard.

"Yikes, that thing is your dad?" shivered the dragonfly.

The dark dragon carefully picked up the three wounded dragons and placed them on his back as he flew towards the temple where Eon was last seen. They made it to the massive underground potion room where he gently laid them down.

"How are you?" he asked.

"My wing is slightly tattered, but I'll live" moaned Flame.

"My elbow is bleeding!" whined Ember, as the others tended to her wound. Spyro was particularly more concerned about her, as was Flame but the red dragon held a special connection to her that he could not explain.

"We should all be safe here" assured Exedra. However, a hundred shadows appeared behind him stepping forward.

"Well I can say Spyro took after you in jinxing stuff" joked Sparx.

"Exedra; Spyro and friends, by the authority granted in me by Spanish king Charles V, for crimes committed against Earth, I hereby sentence you to death" declared Salazar.

"What crimes!" demanded Spyro, covering the blood on his tail.

"Well existing at all, for a start".

Just then, a loud voice interrupted them.

"Oi, grey-face!" a comical voice called.

They turned to their left to see Apex high up on one of the slippery, stone platforms, above a small pond, tangling a small item in his hand: the green crystal summoner.

"That's all well and good...except that I've got this".

"You do not understand the power of that token!" yelled Salazar.

"Oh relax" he dismissed, walking back and forth on the slippery monument, waving the crystal like a toy, singing, "I've the glowing orb and you don't, ha, ha, ha and you don't, you miserable old-

Suddenly he slipped and fell into the pond below. He grabbed hold of one pole on the sidelines of the upper platform the others were on and lifted himself up.

"Got it!" he cheered, still clutching the crystal.

"So can you, you know, kill the bad guy now!" demanded Flame.

Apex went further and held the crystal up towards Salazar.

"By the power of this crystal I demand that you die!" he ordered, closing his eyes and preparing for something. Nothing. "Hm, destroy the guy in the Halloween clothes!" Again nothing happens.

"Stop fooling around!" yelled Spyro.

"C'mon, you worthless crystal!" Apex shook it around in his hand. Salazar walked towards him. Apex held it up to his face. "Please kill this thing. Why won't you die?Maybe it's broken, eh, or cold".

Salazar grabbed the crystal and pushed the tiger back towards the others.

"You fool neither one of us can use it without Cynder" said the ghost.

"Ha, so you can't use it either!" laughed Apex, before facing Exedra. "Ah, what is that?!"

"My father" smiled Spyro, not caring about his dad's sinister look.

"You wanted to save that? I mean there's no problem with being friend's with a big, ugly brute, I mean I have lots of friends who are big, ugly brute's. So this has gone badly for all of us then. Because I came here to get my ship back and stop you from getting that, for nothing and you've spent years waiting for a...broken piece of glass".

Salazar smiled evilly as his dark suited, Death squads stepped forward, their guns aimed at Cynder.

"Cynder!" cried Spyro.

"Let her go, Salazar!" demanded Exedra.

"I plan on giving her torture of the most terrible kind after her uses have expired, so I will let her go soon enough" agreed the ghost.

His death squads rounded up the others and took aim at them.

The others stood in a circle around the poor black dragon, as she stood in the centre of Eon's mystical room.

"It appears, Apex you lied to us again, Eon is not needed to complete this ritual, you only said that so we would follow you to him and be destroyed" Salazar revealed his plan.

"What?" denied the tiger, in a fake voice.

Salazar placed the crystal collar around Cynder's neck and the Elemental moons above began taking their course, coming into perfect harmony above the temple. The black dragon began feeling pain, collapsing to the floor, as her body turned purple. The glows could be seen from all over the lands.

"Oh no, we're to late!" feared Ignitus, as they rushed forward.

"Behold daylight, once again Nitrix Slazar, to kill the Dark Master and his pet, as you should have done so long ago!" chanted Salazar, as the green array opened up, revealing the terrifying cursed realms beneath Cynder. She screamed, fearing she might fall, but then stopped, realising something dark and evil was approaching from the other side. Fear consumed her, fears of returning to the evil side, fears of what this Slazar might do to her.

Nothing.

"That was a rip-off" frowned Apex.

Suddenly a huge, dark, demonic hand pushed it's way out and grabbed the surface. Salazar and his crew took a step back as a dark figure, wearing black and grey metal folds all around, a helmet matching his evil attire and a pair of glowing red eyes emerged. He let out a deadly roar so scary that even Exedra took cover.

"Bring me Malefor!" it screamed, unleashing his dark magic upon the entire land.

The temple began crumbling, and Exedra immediately grabbed the young ones and flew out. Suddenly a huge terrifying tornado emerged in the skies, above the now destroyed temple, with purple lightning engulfing the sky. Purple lava erupted into the air like a volcano, despite there being none. The temple crumbled and exploded, presumably crushing the grand admiral.

"Take cover!" ordered Igntius, as him and the others unleashed their powers on the beast, with no effect.

Master Eon closed his eyes for a minute and accepted what he must do. He transformed himself into an equally as large being and pushed his staff forward, it's power rescuing the Guardians from Slazar's strikes.

"Eon, finally the coward himself reveals himself" grinned the figure, surrounded by a hurricane.

"The coward is one who conceals himself with dark magic" responded Eon, charging at him with his staff.

Nitrix Slazar took out a devastating, purple, mystical evil sabre and slashed it against him, making the wizard vanish, and presumably die.

"Master Eon!" screamed Ignitus and Terrador.

"No..." gasped Spyro. He soon spotted Cynder on the ground and ran to her, waking her up from her slumber.

She looked him in the eye, wondering if he remembered her secret sex with Flame, he didn't. Eon undid it. The purple dragon gently pulled her into a hug, and Cynder responded by wrapping herself around him for comfort.

Slazar turned his attention to the _Silent Blade,_ mistaking it's fire on the temple as an attack on him. He hurled a wave of purple fire out of his blade, heading for the cursed ship.

"Uh-oh" said Moneybone. "Mummy!"

"Evacuate!" ordered Abril.

"Get to the _Nihilius_!" said another solider.

They retreated to their second most powerful ship as the _Silent Blade_ vanished.

"NO!" screamed Apex, as he, Asilas and Rae ran to where it was last sailing. Rae picked up a small glass bottle, with a figure of the cursed ship stuck inside. He sadly handed it over to the tiger.

"It's shrunken" he noticed. "Why has it shrunken? Is it cold?"

Nitrix turned his attention to the purple dragon.

"I will not allow a purple dragon to live!" he unleashed more lightning at them but Exedra's own dark powers repelled it.

"Go all of you! I am the only one who can hold him off!" he ordered.

"No, dad, please, you don't have to do anything!" pleaded Spyro.

"Spyro, I am ashamed to have been such a cruel dad; I have never done right to you, so please allow me to offer you the freedom that I denied you" he let out a friendly smile to his son, the first he had in years.

"Exedra, don't!" yelled his former mentor.

Exedra shared a knowing glance with his old friend and teacher, Igntius and let out his black wings.

He flew towards the terrifying giant and unleashed every ounce of energy in him at once, consuming both their bodies.

* * *

...nothing but mist surrounded them. Rubble, darkness, fog. A poor, innocent dragon frantically searched for his father, screaming out his name.

A young black dragoness ran after him.

"S-Spyro?" she gently called.

Spyro began filling his eyes with tears. Cynder embraced him into a hug, gently placing her wings around his. Her eyes sharing his grief, deeply blaming herself for what had just happened. If she had just left when she did, none of this would have happened.

"Spyro, I'm so sorry. I am so sorry" she wept with him.

"Don't be, you did nothing" he hushed her, his own tears wetting her black scales. Spyro had never shown this amount of emotion before and it broke Cynder to see him like this. His head collapsed against her ruby chest, and Cynder didn't push him away.

"It's ok Spyro, it's all over now" she assured him.

"For a minute I had everything back and then..it was taken from me again" he sobbed. Cynder understood. For a brief period she had her freedom, when she was with him at the Dragon temple but the warnings of Salazar ended that, losing her innocence to Flame furthered it. She was just grateful Eon did what he did for her. "I feel so alone".

"You're not alone" she nuzzled him.

Ignitus flew down to them with the other Guardians and Sparx.

"S-Spyro, I'm so sorry" he deeply apologised, with profound pain and grief. "I regret the death of my old friend".

Their mourning was interrupted by rumbling sounds.

"I'm afraid without Eon, the Skylands will begin collapsing!" said Cyril. "I'm sorry, Ignitus, I searched everywhere, and there was not once trace of him".

Ignitus sighed deeply and laid down, allowing the three to get onto his back. The Guardians took to the skies, fleeing the disintegrating sky kingdom.

"Prepare to drown!" ordered Abril, as _Nihilus_ and the other ships, prepared to fall below back into the sea.

"But what about the grand admiral?" asked one Death guard.

"Salazar is gone, now follow my orders or we will suffer the same fate!" she snapped.

One ship, _Judicator,_ went rogue. Reyes was commanding it. Waving Salazar's titanium sword into the air, asserting his control over his new prize.

"By the power of this sword, I claim this ship as my own as a payment for my lost ship" he declared.

* * *

Spyro remained silent as the four huge dragons flew into the sun sea; Sparx was tired; Cynder guilty; Flame and Ember were nowhere to be seen, neither was Apex and his crew. It was assumed that either they had been killed in the destruction of the sky land or had escaped, most likely the first suggestion. Spyro's grief turned into tiredness, and he soon collapsed onto his mentor, falling asleep. His sorrow was soon interrupted as one special dragon nuzzled up beside him. Cynder, nestling herself against him, gave him something left to fight for. He only wished he could save her from her infernal guilt. As the two fell asleep, Cynder thought of something. If Eon was truly dead, then shouldn't all his spells be undone. Shouldn't Spyro remember her admitting to having an intense sex session with Flame. Deep down, she wondered where him and his pleasurable pole, and of course Ember were. She quickly shook of the thoughts of her time with Flame, by wriggling her tail down to Spyro's underbelly and crotch, affirming that she had chosen him instead of the red dragon. Seeing his loneliness, paralleling hers, she knew that she and him had an unbreakable bond. But if Master Eon wasn't dead, she would find him. One day.

Terrador looked at Ignitus, "How do we know Salazar is gone? The question is: did Nitrix Slazar survive the blast? And let's not forget the Spanish Royal Navy are still present, now with an entire fleet".

"There'll be time to deal with such things but not now" said the fire dragon.

"Come on mum it's Saturday" Sparx wearily said, as the sun rise woke him.

"I can assume the threat of Apex Z is forever gone" said Cyril.

The dragons continued flying off into the sun rise, past the Mystic Sea, which already began to emerge as more peaceful and natural, with the Dead no longer polluting it.

* * *

Reyes looked to his new crew, on his new ship.

"I can sadly report that our mission wasn't as expected" he briefed. "But with the deceased Grand Admiral's map to _World's End,_ we can reclaim what is ours".

"Can we see it?" pleaded one sailor.

"Gents, I give you the map to _World's End_ " he exclaimed, rolling out the map. His horrified face soon lifted the map to his face. Again, having a venerated yet admirable look on his face, he saw a massive hole cut out in the centre of the map and uttered, "Apex".

Elsewhere, in the sea, Apex was stuck in a small, decaying dingy he stole from the _Silent Fury._ He pushed the small white sail higher and tangled the knot tighter, muttering to himself "Defeat is not surrender".

He drunk some from a bottle of wine, before leaving it beside him. Beside that, was the small bottle, containing the miniature _Silent Blade._ Sitting down, he examined the piece of the map he stole. It's circular shape revealed the precise heading to _World's End,_ and from the looks of the pictures of Spyro and Cynder, he guessed his next adventure will parallel their's.

"Dead men tell no tails" he drunkenly sung to himself, mirroring Salazar's dark remark on those he massacred. "Well this one does".

Raising his amazing golden sword into the sky, the dingy sailed of into the endless sea, as the sun rose to match the colour of his blade.

 **The end**

 **As you probably realised the ending is a bit similar to At World's End, ending scene, but yeah that's the end of the story. I decided not to drag it out as long as I wanted to, but don't worry this doesn't complete the saga. Just to confirm: Salazar and Nitrix are not dead.**


	21. Preview of The Last Command

Preview of the second edition in the Salazar trilogy...

 **The Legend of Spyro: The Last Command**

 _While the apparent death of Salazar and the return of Nitrix Slazar has much of the Realms in shock, the beautiful Night of Eternal Darkness draw near, Gaul makes the ultimate decision to kill Spyro, Cynder flees the temple to find Master Eon, Apex continues his search for World's End, and soon mankind begins to suspect something is amiss in the skies, leading to British intervention._

 _ **(Monkey Island and PotC references are to be expected)**_

A busy street in perhaps the busiest town in the North of Britain. Hundreds walk along the streets, taking in the aroma from not only the fresh bread from bakeries but the pollution from factories. A hooded figure dashes through the roads, as the wind and heavy rain brush against his face, nearly blowing his hat and coat right off him. He rushed into a tall business place on a melancholy road, it's light darkened windows contrasting with the light coming from the other houses. The man walked along the bright, orange ochre floorboards to a dark section of the room, where a miserly man was sat alone, counting his change, with a bottle of alcohol beside him.

"Good morning, Professor Marcus" he greeted.

Professor Alec Horatio Marcus was his name, and he was as scientist who's studies proved effective in deciphering what came before the human race. However, everyone dismissed him as being a crazy old man, leading to him secluding himself from society until he proved his analysis.

"You let the wind in" Marcus growled, not facing him.

The man looked at a painting erected into the wall, painted by Marcus himself. It was off mythological creatures with wings, known as dragons.

"I must say what fine artwork you have; a professor and an artist" praised the visitor.

"Art is in the eye of the beholder, you will not understand the deeper meaning to it".

"Do I have the pleasure of greeting Mr. Salazar or Professor Marcus?" he politely asked.

Marcus looked up at him. "Salazar is dead. He died 13 years ago on this very night".

"Sir, the British colonial authority wishes to speak with you" the man explained.

Lord James drank his tea, while staring at the professor.

"I am so sorry to interrupt your days events with this unexpected summoning" apologised James, handing him a cup of tea. "But please allow me to ask you, what do you know of dragons?"

"A myth; a legend, originating from the stories of St. George" said Marcus, refusing to allow someone else to call him mad.

"A myth, hardly, at least not according to your book" argued James. "New accounts have been revealed on the 9th most feared man to ever live, and your former research assistant, Zanaz Salazar. It is believed, judging from fossils left behind, that he to shared your beliefs in dragons. And it appears as though something is alive...above our very heads".

Marcus put his glass down. "Are you implying that you have found evidence of dragons?"

"No I am saying I WANT evidence of dragons existence, because this new document has revealed something threatening exists and I seek your help in destroying it".

* * *

Cynder woke with a scare. Not really a scare, more like a dazzled, unexplained feeling. She looked over to her friend, Spyro, who she was nestled beside, and he too was awake, apparently long before her. Her underbelly felt strangely moist, probably thanks to her strange dream. Cynder's reclusive nature in recent days led Spyro to ask Cynder to spend a night with him out on the balcony to hopefully end that cycle.

"Spyro, anything wrong?" she asked.

"No, just a weird dream" he dismissed.

Cynder nodded, having had one herself. She edged herself closer to him, rolling against his side, so her back was against his golden torso. Her tail and his swashed against one another. That's when Cynder felt it. Something really wet beneath them, something wet and sticky. Spyro blushed, making Cynder realise what it was. ( **remember that in Eternal Night, both dragons are presumed to be 13, and as such their bodies begin changing).** She recognised it as the same substance that came out of Flame which he released into her. She felt something hard and long suddenly rest against her back scales. It was coming from in between her purple friend's legs. Now it was clear to her.

Spyro, embarrassingly turned away.

"Um, Spyro, you...do realise that's natural right...your getting older so your body is going to change, mine is too" she told him, her lesson with Flame and the consequences of it matured her slightly.

Spyro looked back at her, unaware if that substance was his or hers, considering his strange dream. Suddenly a wonderful smell hit his nostrils. A sweet aroma, originating from his black dragoness friend. _Wow, she even smells beautiful._

"Spyro your snout is touching my chest" Cynder made him snap out of it.

"Oh sorry it's just that smell-

"I know, like I told you, it's natural as our bodies change and we become teenagers" she assured him.

"Oh, it just seems hard to accept, I just found out my true identity a couple of weeks ago and now I'm already becoming a teen, it seems like I was just reborn now" Spyro explained his thoughts.

"Tell me about it, I literally just changed back from an adult and now just like that my childhood is over...again" she chuckled. The hardness poking at her crimson underbelly wouldn't go.

Cynder was feeling strangely warm.

"You coming down with something? You seem really hot. In the temperature way!" Spyro quickly corrected himself. Cynder giggled slightly.

"Nah, it's just...I dunno. I'm just feeling strangely hot" she said.

"Then why are you leaning against me so much" smirked Spyro.

"I can't explain it, but doing that relieves my warm feeling, as if satisfying it" she puzzled.

Ignitus had told him that as he grew into a teen, his hormones would change and he would find love less of the "plague" he once considered it to be. He could only guess the same of Cynder. But, he always thought of Cynder as just a friend. He was glad he had a father-figure like Ignitus to look up to and guide him as his real one vanished and was now "up there".

Cynder nuzzled her friend, guessing the reason of his despairing eyes.

"C-Cynder, can I ask a favour from you?" asked Spyro.

"Yeah".

"Is it ok if...I spend some time alone? Whatever these changes are, it's making me feel uncomfortable considering your here".

"I was thinking the same thing" she agreed, getting up and locating her old platform. She was relieved that he said it first, since she didn't want to seem like the bad one. "Good night Spyro". Probably the last time she could wish him some form of good fortune, she wanted to leave without telling anyone.

* * *

Opaque, dark, endless water with a coffin rowing down it. It droned on towards the sandy shores of Blood island, far from the town made up from shipwrecks. Suddenly, a golden sword, burst through the wood and a hand carrying the blade emerged. A tiger stood upright, gazing at the sight in front of him.

"Ah, just on time" he said to himself, taking out a skeleton bone and rowing himself towards shore. He steadily stood on top of the coffin as it began to sink, and just when it did he put his right foot forward and walked along the sandy beaches towards a campfire, where one ape and one cheetah pirate were sitting around, eating marshmallows.

"So then I busted in, raising my golden sword, and Woodrow Reyes cried 'no please Apex I beg for mercy'" Apex was telling them his widely exaggerated story.

"I think I know how he must've felt" groaned the ape.

"If I have to listen to this story once more I'm gonna be crying meself" added the cheetah.

"Yeah, well you wouldn't recognise a good story if you paid for it...which you can't because of this stupid embargo your weird cheetah tribe imposed on the island" retorted the tiger.

"Don't you have any new stories?" moaned the ape.

"Well actually, that's why I'm hear, to find the treasure all men and women crave; haunts the dreams of every sailor and dragon" he revealed.

"You don't mean- they both began. "World's End!?"

"Exactly".

"Then why'd you come here, there's no treasure on Blood island?" asked the ape.

"Well I know that now, the lesson's been learned all right, it won't happen again" Apex dramatically said, getting up to leave. "Just to recap, there's no treasure buried on this island?"

The other two hit their hands on their faces.


	22. UPDATE

**So chapter one and two of The Last Command have been published. Make sure to follow the story if you want to keep updated. This one will have a lot more tension and dark feeling to it as well as a mysterious one. There's also a lot more Spyro and Cynder than in Price of Freedom, but the story will still keep to the adventure tone that Pirates of the Caribbean and Monkey Island bring with them.**

 **But what comes next? Well, a friend of mine is working on his own Spyro story and he wanted to use one of my OC's, Apex Z, for his story in the future. I told him yes, but he would have to wait till my current one is finished. So I guess that story will be the unofficial sequel to Last Command.**


End file.
